SYRACUSE, NY (WSYR-TV) — State Fair Director Troy Waffner and his team have been working to expand the 2020 state fair from a 13-day event to an 18-day end of summer party.
But Monday morning, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who decided he wanted an 18-day fair, announced that, due to COVID-19, the fair would be canceled for 2020.
Fair Director Troy Waffner has been in contact with the governor’s office looking at ways a state fair could still be held on a smaller scale, while still giving fairgoers the experience they could only get inside the fairgrounds.
But Waffner said it just wasn’t feasible.
It’s an event that a lot of people look forward too and provides a huge economic boost to the region.
But ultimately, Waffner, said the decision was one of safety.
“What we don’t want is the New York State Fair to become a spike in COVID-19 And the governor understood that we can’t draw 1.3 million people together and this year with 18 days would have been 1.5, 1.6, 1.7 million people together and safely have a fair that may not cause the spike in infection rates,” said Waffner.
The fair director says the fair staff will go ahead and begin planning next year’s 18-day event.
On Monday afternoon, the New York State Fair tweeted the following:
Those who had bought tickets earlier this year will be able to use them next year or get a refund, according to the tweet. More details on that matter will be available later.
Those who purchased tickets last year will be able to use those tickets in 2021.
Vendors who sent in deposits will also receive full refunds.
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