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2020 Ohio State Fair canceled to help prevent spread of coronavirus

'Instead of coming together in person, we’ll celebrate agriculture and our great state at a distance. ...'
Credit: WBNS-10TV / Drone 10

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State Fair is canceled for 2020 to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Ohio Expositions Committee and and the Ohio State Fair management team came to the decision Thursday morning.

"The Ohio State Fair’s management team, as well as the Ohio Expositions Commission, have been carefully evaluating all available information from state and local health officials, as well as the financial feasibility of a reduced capacity fair, over the last several weeks. Today, the Ohio Expositions Commission voted to cancel the Ohio State Fair in effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the Fair for future generations."

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Statement from officials at the Ohio State Fair:

Each year, hundreds of thousands of our closest friends gather to make memories and enjoy their Fair favorites – food, the butter cow, a visit with Smokey Bear, a performance by the All-Ohio State Fair Band, or a run in the show ring.

Knowing how much the Ohio State Fair means to you makes it all the harder to share that this summer, the Ohio State Fair as we all know it will be on hiatus. Instead of coming together in person, we’ll celebrate agriculture and our great state at a distance, with a collection of educational digital content and sharing some of your favorite memories on social media.

The Ohio State Fair is possible thanks to the hard work of thousands of staff members, exhibitors, volunteers, vendors, partners, performers, concessionaires, youth leaders and sponsors. And the health and safety of our Fair family is the most important factor as we move forward.

The Ohio State Fair’s management team, as well as the Ohio Expositions Commission, have been carefully evaluating all available information from state and local health officials, as well as the financial feasibility of a reduced capacity fair, over the last several weeks. Today, the Ohio Expositions Commission voted to cancel the Ohio State Fair in effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the Fair for future generations.

We will share more information about the Ohio State Fair’s digital content in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing you when it is safer for us to be together again.

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