Avid supporters of Iowa’s largest annual in-state event have now seen their worst fear come true: The 2020 Iowa State Fair has been cancelled.
The Iowa State Fair Board voted Wednesday to upend the eleven-day Des Moines event, due to ongoing concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 fair, scheduled to take place August 13-23, continued to look less and less likely after multiple acts, such as country music star Chris Stapleton, announced in May that they were cancelling their shows.
The Board released a statement over social media Wednesday afternoon that read as follows:
“This year, we’re heartbroken to say we won’t be able to come together to celebrate the year’s best in agriculture, industry, entertainment and achievement at the Iowa State Fair. Right now, we’re all doing our part to stay safe. So while our grounds will remain quiet, nothing can shut down the spirit of the Iowa State Fair. Some of those traditions might have to be brought closer to home or we might have to make memories in new ways. And while this isn’t the Fair we were planning to have in 2020, we’ll ride this experience together. Until next year, keep growing, showing, and doing your Blue Ribbon best. Because one thing we’ve learned is that it only gets better from here. Fairwell for now, and we’ll see you August 12-22, 2021. For more information, please visit our FAQ page at iowastatefair.org/about/fair-updates.”
– Iowa State Fair Board
The Iowa State Fair joins other major Midwest states, including Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana, who will not be holding their 2020 festivities. As the Board’s release stated, next year’s Iowa State Fair is set to occur August 12-22, 2021. And, with all of the disappointment 2020 has brought to locals, the 2021 Fair should be a doozy.
[Photo courtesy of Phil Roeder]
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/tabor-roeder/4895471243]
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