San Mateo County Fair To Offer COVID Vaccines, Incentives

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — The San Mateo County Fair will offer on-site COVID-19 vaccinations beginning Saturday to everyone ages 16 and up, and those who are vaccinated will receive free admission, a $20 food voucher and four free carnival ride tickets.

The fair will be held at the San Mateo County Event Center from June 5 to June 13. Officials said in a news release that they hope the incentives will convince those still unvaccinated to get their shots while enjoying the fair. A vaccination clinic will be set up by the county’s public health department outside the fair’s main entrance at Gate 5 and vaccines will be available every day of the fair between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Coolio and Young MC are among the musicians headlining the fair’s concert series.

“We are excited to welcome the community back to the fairgrounds to enjoy all the attractions, activities, food, and traditions we missed last year,” said Justin Aquino, Fair Operations Manager of the San Mateo County Fair, in a news release. “By offering the opportunity to get vaccines at the fair, we want to encourage the entire community to get vaccinated so we can all safely enjoy the fair for years to come.”

The event center has been a central hub for San Mateo County throughout the pandemic, serving as a testing site to administer more than 250,000 tests and later as a vaccination center for more than 90,000 people.

“The San Mateo County Event Center has played a vital role throughout the pandemic by serving as a COVID-19 testing site, vaccine distribution center, and temporary overflow hospital,” said Dana Stoehr, CEO of the San Mateo County Event Center. “As we reopen the event center to the public, the health and safety of our guests and surrounding neighborhoods will remain a top priority.”