The San Mateo County Event Center announced it will host an in-person county fair this summer — from Saturday, June 5 to Sunday, June 13 — after canceling last year’s festivities. The fair, which will adhere to all state and county health and safety guidelines, will not operate on Monday, June 7 and Tuesday, June 8.
Fair officials have prepared plans to adhere to current guidelines from the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy plan. Under California’s orange tier, outdoor live events such as the county fair are permitted to host up to 25 percent of maximum capacity.
Dana Stoehr, CEO of the San Mateo County Event Center, emphasized that “the health and safety of our guests is our top priority.”
“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 Stoehr.
With health and safety guidelines in mind, modifications to this year’s fair include a scheduled timed entry for visitors, allowing the fair to maintain capacity limitations while keeping everyone safe. All fair tickets will be sold online, with attendees selecting an available time slot for arrival and digital tickets being scanned at the gate for a touch-less experience, per officials. Guests will also be required to wear masks while attending the fair.
While the Event Center has been unable to host the fair and other events since last year, it has played a crucial role by serving as a COVID-19 testing site, operations hub, supply center, 250-bed temporary overflow hospital and vaccine distribution center for the Bay Area, per officials, who added that the Event Center has hosted the administration of 250,000 COVID-19 tests and vaccinations of more than 90,000 people to date.
“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.”
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Photo credit: San Mateo County Fair
