San Mateo County Event Center Announces Return of the County Fair, California’s first major events since outbreak of pandemic
San Mateo County Event Center Announces Return of the County Fair
San Mateo County Fair will be one of California’s first major events since outbreak of pandemic
SAN MATEO, CA – Today, the San Mateo County Event Center announced they will host an in-person county fair this summer after being forced to cancel last year’s event due to the COVID-19 pandemic for just the second time in its 87-year history.
The Fair – which will be one of California’s first major public events since early 2020 – will be held from Saturday, June 5th to Sunday, June 13th, and will follow all state and county health and safety guidelines. The fair will not operate on Monday, June 7th and Tuesday, June 8th.
Fair officials have developed various plans to adhere to current guidelines from the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economic plan. The current plan under California’s orange tier allows for outdoor live events such as the county fair to host up to 25% of maximum capacity.
“The theme of the San Mateo County Fair is Where Tradition Meets Innovation, and we will certainly bring the favorite traditions of animals, pig races, BBQ, funnel cakes, carnival rides, and the Ferris Wheel back, with the innovations that provide a healthy and safe space for our community,” said Dana Stoehr, CEO of the San Mateo County Event Center. “The health and safety of our guests is our top priority,”
Some modifications to this year’s Fair include a scheduled timed entry for all visitors, which allows the fair to maintain capacity limitations and adhere to the state’s reopening guidelines. All tickets will be sold online, and attendees will select an available time slot for arrival and digital tickets will be scanned at the gate to provide a touch-less experience. All guests will be mandated to wear masks while attending this event.
For the past year, the Event Center has been unable to host most events, but instead played a vital role in protecting our health care workers and most vulnerable populations by serving as a COVID-19 testing site, operations hub and supply center, 250-bed temporary overflow hospital, and vaccine distribution center for the San Francisco Bay Area. To date, the Event Center has administered 250,000 COVID-19 tests and vaccinate more than 90,000 individuals.
“We are proud that the San Mateo County Event Center has been here for our community during this time of crisis,” said Justin Aquino, Fair Operations Manager of the San Mateo County Fair. “We are now overjoyed that we can be here for you in the return of celebration.”
The award-winning San Mateo County Fair is the Peninsula’s premier community event for family fun and entertainment. The San Mateo County Fair strives to provide a diverse experience through education, inspiration, and entertainment. The annual Fair represents a celebration of our community’s talent, interests, innovations, and rich agricultural and artistic heritage.
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