Merced County Fair canceled due to pandemic, coronavirus cases rise to 92
Officials announced Tuesday the Merced County Fair will not take place this year, adding to the increasingly long list of events canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
A community tradition since 1891, the 2020 fair would have been Merced County’s 129th. The event typically draws more than 70,000 visitors annually.
The news came as two new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Merced County by the Department of Public Health. There are now 92 total infected residents in Merced County, with 33 of those individuals still ill.
At 56, the total number of residents having recovered from the disease jumped significantly Tuesday. Only 28 individuals had recovered the previous day, County Public Health reported.
Three residents have died from the disease, according to County Public Health.
“The decision to not hold this year’s fair was not made lightly as it impacts the livelihood of many individuals and businesses in our community and the fair industry,” said Merced County Fair CEO Teresa Burrola in a news release.
“However, it is the right decision to make at this time in order to protect the health and safety of our community.”
An emergency meeting was held Monday, where the Merced County Board of Directors and Burrola made the decision to cancel the fair, the release said. The fair was scheduled for June 10 through 14.
The call came down to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s current position on upcoming public events, as well as a consultation with County Public Health, according to the release.
The 130th Merced County Spring Fair in Los Banos was canceled in March for similar reasons.
The annual fair and its 220 interim events generate at least $23 million in economic impact dollars for the local economy, based on a 2015 report put out by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the release said.
Fair organizers will continue to monitor the pandemic and stay in contact with health officials to determine when interim events at the fairgrounds can be resumed safely, according to the release.
“The silver lining is that we are working through plans to hold a virtual livestock sale to support our hard-working 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) exhibitors who have already invested in their animal projects for this year’s fair,” Burrola said in the release.
Utilizing the online platform StockShowAuctions.com (SSA), the more than 500 4-H and FFA exhibitors will still be able to sell their animal projects, the release said.
Exhibitors must enter their animal projects as normal, with the deadline for entries May 7. All exhibitors who entered will be contacted and provided details for the virtual auction and processing, the release said.
Held from June 11 to 13, market beef, goats, sheep, swine, rabbits and replacement heifers will be included in the virtual auction.
The fair is developing a “toolkit” for exhibitors to secure and guide buyers in the new virtual auction, the release said. Staff and volunteers will be available to assist with online registration and bidding process information.
“I am incredibly proud of our livestock team for diligently working to source a great platform and plan for our exhibitors to still market and sell their animal projects – which is such an important experience for our livestock youth,” Burrola said in the release.
”We hope that our exhibitors and buyers will participate in this year’s ‘virtual auction’ and keep this longstanding tradition of the fair alive this year.”
Auction details will be posted on the fair’s website. Advisors, exhibitors and buyers with questions can email livestock@countyofmerced.com.
While tickets had not yet gone on sale for this year’s fair, all VIP Parking Passes already purchased will be honored for the 2021 fair. Refunds may be issued by emailing info@mercedcountyfair.com or calling (209) 722-1506.
Refunds for RV and vendor deposits are being processed, and will be issued in the next two weeks, according to the release.
The 2021 Merced County Fair will run from June 9 through 13.
“On behalf of my Board and our staff, I want to thank our sponsors, vendors, exhibitors and community for all of the years of support,” Burrola said in the release. “We will be back next year and it will be a celebration to remember!”
“Until then, please continue to follow public health guidelines so we can stop the spread of COVID-19.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 11:46 AM.
