Covid-19: New York State Fair, Which Drew 1.3M Last Year, Called Off For First Time Since WWII

Much to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s chagrin, the annual State Fair in Syracuse has been called off due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Really … this is a tough one for me,” Cuomo said during a COVID-19 briefing in Manhattan on Monday, July 6. “Fairs across the nation are not reopening, and we have to cancel ours.”

Cuomo said that the state fair saw a record 1.3 million visitors last year, and the state has invested money into a new 11,000-square-foot expo center in Syracuse. The fair was to run for 18 days for the first time this year, with five days being added to the schedule for guests.

It has been more than seven decades since the fair was canceled after if didn’t run between 1942 and 1948 due to World War II and its aftermath.

Though most of the state is set to enter Phase 4 of the state’s four-phase planned reopening this week - New York City being the exception - Cuomo has been adamant that fairs and other recreational hubs will not be permitted to be held until the entire state is reopened due to the virus.

“This makes me personally very unhappy, but this is where we are,” Cuomo said. “This is a really tough one.” 

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