San Mateo County Fair Among First Big CA Events To Return

SAN MATEO, CA — An 87-year annual fair is set to return this summer. If all goes well, the San Mateo County Fair will be among the first major in-person events to go on since the onset of the pandemic in California.

The fair will be open from Saturday, June 5 to Sunday, June 13 and will operate under all state and county health and safety guidelines, according to the San Mateo County Event Center. The fair has only ever canceled its long-standing tradition twice in its 87-year history, county officials said.

Since the state has been able to sustain relatively low transmission rates within the last several weeks — reporting a new low of 1.6 percent positivity rate on Monday — the show might actually go on this time in San Mateo County, which resides under the orange tier of the state's color-coded reopening map.

Under that tier, California officials have said that outdoor live events can host up to 25 percent capacity. Theme parks were also given the green light to reopen in the state, with precautions and reduced capacity, on Thursday.

READ MORE: CA OK's Indoor Rides At Theme Parks, But Guests Must Mask Up

This year's theme is "Where Tradition Meets Innovation." All guests, who will be required to mask-up, will be able to enjoy pig races, BBQ, funnel cakes, carnival rides and a Ferris Wheel with "innovations that provide a healthy and safe place for our community," said Dana Stoehr, CEO of the San Mateo County Event Center.

The long-running event will look a lot different this year. The fair will stagger its guests to maintain capacity limits by having a scheduled and timed entry for all visitors.

All tickets will be sold exclusively online and attendees will have to select an available time slot. Digital tickets will be scanned at the gate to provide a contact-free experience, fair officials said.

San Mateo's event center has taken on a much different role during the coronavirus pandemic, like many other beloved venues and sports stadiums across the Golden State.

The center on Saratoga Drive has served as a coronavirus testing site, a vaccine hub and a 250-bed overflow hospital for the San Francisco Bay Area.

Health workers have administered more than 250,000 coronavirus tests and administered 90,000 vaccine shots within the event center, officials said.

"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."