On Wednesday, July 29, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) announced in a press release from Andrea Ashby, the director of the NCDA&CS Public Affairs Division, that the 2020 North Carolina State Fair has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. The fair was scheduled to open on Oct. 15 and run through Oct. 25.

The department worked closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and based its decision off of current North Carolina’s COVID-19 statistics, the current pause in phase 2 of reopening in North Carolina, concerns about contracts and concerns about the financial well-being of the fair. 

According to Ashby, the department decided to cancel the fair early in order to prevent money being spent on an event that was not going to happen. The fair costs around $6.8 million every year to put on.

The fair has been cancelled 15 times in the past, and the NCDA&CS is planning year-round events that abide by CDC and NCDHHS guidelines. They are currently planning on hosting the 2021 N.C. State Fair on October 14-24.