Funnel cakes, deep fried oreos and pictures with Big Tex are now on hold until at least 2021 after the Texas State Fair announced the cancellation of its 2020 season amid concerns surrounding COVID-19.
Gina Norris, the board chair for the State Fair of Texas, says the cancellation “was an extremely tough decision,” via press release.
“One of the greatest aspects of the fair is welcoming each and every person who passes through our gates with smiles and open arms. In the current climate of COVID-19, there is no feasible way for the fair to put proper precautions in place while maintaining the fair environment you know and love,” Gina says via press release. “While we cannot predict what the COVID-19 pandemic will look like in September, the recent surge in positive cases is troubling for all of North Texas. The safest and most responsible decision we could make for all involved at this point in our 134-year history is to take a hiatus for the 2020 season.”
This will be the first time since World War II that the Texas State Fair has not opened. Before then, it was canceled because of WWI, the planning of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition and the 1937 Pan American Exposition at Fair Park.
“While we are heartbroken at the notion of not welcoming more than 2.5 million of our closest friends for this annual celebration of the Lone Star State, the excitement we feel in moving forward with planning the 2021 State Fair of Texas and keeping this 134-year tradition alive will keep us motivated until we can greet our fairgoers, seasonal staff and business partners again in a safe environment,’” says State Fair Of Texas President Mitchell Glieber via press release.