Although the look and feel may be considerable different, the board of the Utah State Fair has announced the event will proceed as scheduled. Redubbed “A September To Remember,” the fair will be held Sept. 10-20.
The board said that events such as the junior livestock show and sale as well as FFA and 4-H exhibits will be held along with limited food and vendor booths.
Larry Mullenax, executive director of the Utah State Fairpark, said ‘‘The Utah State Fair as it is known today was created in 1856 to celebrate our pioneer heritage and is an inclusive celebration of everything Utahns are so proud of: homemade arts and crafts, locally grown products, blue ribbon winners and family fun. The ‘September to Remember’ event can take on many forms from managing smaller groups of people on the fairgrounds property and maintaining social distancing while we honor the hard work of our Utah 4-H and FFA youth who have invested in preparing for this year’s fair, many of whom use proceeds from their winnings to pay for college.”
“The Utah State Fair has employed over 400 people for the 11-day duration of the fair and we thank all vendors, volunteers and employees who have contributed to the annual success,” Mullenax said in describing the scaled-back version of the event. “We know that the difficult decision today will lead to a stronger fair in 2021.”
Mullenax said that all events and activities to be held this year will follow the most up-to-date directives and health measures. “The Utah State Fairpark continues to work closely on addressing public health guidelines with a variety of agencies, including the Utah Governor’s Office, Department of Health and Human Services, Utah Department of Agriculture, Salt Lake City mayor and council and more. The Utah State Fairpark organizers will continue to collaborate with these expert partners, watching for any new developments around COVID-19 that would impact the Fairpark operation and make modifications accordingly.”
