MARIN COUNTY, CA — The 2020 Marin County Fair has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.



The annual fair, which had been scheduled for July 1-5, was canceled because the county has reserved the Marin Center campus and fairgrounds as a vital resource in response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, according to the county's Department of Cultural Services.



The Marin Center facilities and offices have been closed since March 13 due to the shelter-in-place mandate. County employees have been deployed as disaster service workers.



"It's with a very heavy heart that we make this decision," said Gabriella C. Calicchio, the county's director of cultural services. "Since 1946, the Marin County Fair has been the premier family celebration in the county each summer. In our fair history, this is one of the most challenging times we have encountered."

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The fair's theme this year was "The Soaring 2020s" in a reference to the Roaring 1920s era of food, fun and merriment, and to all things that soar, according to the department.



Calicchio said the decision to cancel the fair came after multiple conversations with Marin County Public Health to support the efforts to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We hope to soar into the future with even more resilience," Calicchio said.

"We hope everyone will stay safe and creatively engaged at home and we look forward to serving our community, clients, partners, vendors and fair family through this crisis. We will come together again when our communities are healthy and safe."

The 2021 Marin County Fair is slated for July 1-5.

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This article originally appeared on the San Rafael Patch

