Pima County Fair canceled due to coronavirus pandemic

The Pima County Fair has been canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, fair officials announced on their Facebook page on Friday. 

The annual fair, scheduled for April 16-26, falls within the 8-week period Arizona Governor Doug Ducey recommended all gatherings of more than 50 people be canceled, the Facebook post said. 

"Fair time should be a fun time and never a time for fear. Public safety and wellness have always been and will always remain our priority," the announcement said. 

The fair impacts the local economy and the fair food drive provides 80,000 meals to the hungry, the announcement said. The financial impact will affect vendors, exhibitors, sponsors, rodeo athletes, entertainers, staffing, rental companies and hundreds of hourly workers who are hired to work at the fair each year. 

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Also canceled, as part of the fair were the dozen free concerts including by rockers Tesla, country singer Scotty McCreery and rapper Saweetie.

Exit surveys from 2014 and 2015 showed around 300,000 people attended the county fair. 

The 2021 fair is set for April 15-25.