The Iowa State Fair is canceled for 2020, leaving Iowans and the Midwest without their beloved tradition of fried corn dogs and hog calling in the humid summer heat.
This marks the first time …
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The Iowa State Fair is canceled for 2020, leaving Iowans and the Midwest without their beloved tradition of fried corn dogs and hog calling in the humid summer heat.
This marks the first time the fair has been canceled due to a pandemic, said Iowa State Fair CEO Gary Slater. The fair was canceled five times in the past: Once in 1898 because of the World’s Fair in Omaha and 1942-45 due to World War II.
Iowa State Fair Board members voted 11-2 to “postpone” the fair until 2021, during a meeting in the Elwell Family Food Center on the fairgrounds Wednesday. The vote occurred without discussion and a secret ballot was used. The 2020 fair is not expected to be rescheduled, however.
Slater emphasized fair staff and board members analyzed every way they could still hold the fair, but he said they would have been forced to diminish the quality of it.
Following consultation with the Iowa Department of Public Health and the state’s epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati, Slater said a socially distanced fair would have significantly reduced the activities that could have been held.
“It became a challenge to have a fair we could all enjoy and be proud of,” Slater said.
Significant revenue loss is expected due to the fair’s cancellation, but Slater said fair officials projected a socially distanced fair would have also lost nearly the same amount of money, based on a survey of potential 2020 fairgoers.
Surveys conducted in May and June showed attendance would have been significantly reduced if the fair were held in August.
About 90% of the fair’s income comes from its August events. Slater said expenses will be “greatly” reduced moving forward to make up for the lack of revenue. On average, the fair annually brings in $100 million.
For the vendors who planned on working this year, Slater said they will retain their spots for next year. Anyone who paid a deposit can receive a refund or move it to 2021.
Campground spots will also be honored for 2021.
Although the fair is canceled, different events are still in the works for the year, including a 4-H and FFA livestock shows, as well as grandstand concerts.
“In the end, we hope to preserve the grand tradition of the Iowa State Fair,” Slater said. “It’s just going to take until next year to do that.”
Reporter Linh Ta comes to Iowa Capital Dispatch from the Des Moines Register, where she covered trending news, public safety and the suburbs.
