From the Texas State Fair website
The 2020 Texas State Fair has been cancelled in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19, according to a post by Dallas City Councilmember Omar Narvaez on Facebook.
State Fair officials made the announcement with the following statement on the State Fair website:
DOING WHAT’S RIGHT FOR TEXAS
With a heavy heart, we are announcing that the State Fair of Texas will not open for the 2020 season. We believe the spirit of the Lone Star state lies in every Texan’s ability to care and look out for their neighbor and it is with this in mind, we have decided to keep our guests, staff, and partners safe and healthy during these uncertain time. Click the button below to find out more information about this news, including refund information for those who have already purchased a ticket. We look forward to giving y’all a great big Howdy in 2021.
According to information on the website, the fair’s board of directors voted to cancel this year’s fair “After extensive consideration of the current landscape related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the health and safety of all fairgoers, staff, business partners, and overall community… .”
Board Chair Gina Norris said, “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.
“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,” Norris added. “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.”
While the board has voted to cancel the state fair this year, what happens with football games planned for the fairgrounds will be up to those in charge of those events. The fair website notes, “the NCAA, respective conferences and participating universities – the University of Texas & University of Oklahoma and Prairie View A&M University & Grambling State University – will be in charge of making decisions regarding the football games that occur at Cotton Bowl Stadium during this unprecedented time of COVID-19. Should football be played this fall, the schools will be playing in the Cotton Bowl as scheduled, despite the cancellation of the 2020 state fair.”
— Tammye Nash
