Alaska State Fair cancelled over COVID-19 concerns

Friday, May 22nd, 2020 5:55pm

A whirligig spins at a past Alaska State Fair.

Palmer, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska State Fair Board of Directors and CEO have made the decision to cancel the Alaska State Fair for the first time since 1942, during World War II.

The cancellation is due to the continuing uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Production of an event the size and scope of the traditional Alaska State Fair requires extraordinary, year-round efforts of our small, hard-working staff," states an ASF press release. "We need to make decisions now based on what we know today, not how we hope things will be in August. We have now reached the point that with all the conjecture surrounding mandates and recommendations for mass gatherings of this scale, it just will not be possible to deliver the same experience fairgoers have come to expect from the State’s largest celebration. Each day brings insurmountable challenges to overcome."

The fair plans to come back next year with a 2021 Alaska State Fair.

If you purchased tickets to this year’s fair or events with a credit card, your charges will be refunded back into that account. It is not necessary to contact the fair as those ticket holders will soon see their credit.

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