The Santa Barbara County Fair is being cancelled for the first time since World War II.
The Board of Directors for the Santa Maria Fairpark made the decision after monitoring state and local coronavirus related health directives.
Officials say the decision was a difficult one, but the health of staff, vendors, exhibitors, and the public comes first. They’ve come up with a refund plan for people and organizations that have already made payments for fair-related events.
The fair was set to take place July 15th through 19th.
They say what makes the decision especially difficult is the fact the county fair is responsible for about 60% of the Fairpark’s annual budget, and that the cancellation jeopardizes its ongoing financial viability.
