The Alaska State Fair is the latest economic casualty of the coronavirus that has claimed ten Alaskan lives and more than 333 thousand lives worldwide.

Jerome Hertel, the Alaska State Fair’s CEO, announced the decision to cancel this year’s fair on the Fair’s web site and Facebook page on Friday.

“It is with deep regret that the Alaska State Fair Board of Directors and CEO have made the decision to cancel the Alaska State Fair for the first time since 1942 during World War II,” Hertel wrote, “The cancellation is due to the continuing uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Governor Mike Dunleavy announced Phases 3 and 4 of the Reopen Alaska Responsibly Plan on Friday, which reopened many of the state’s businesses and services, with best practices guidelines to continue containing the spread of COVID-19.

With the exception of the special populations of fishing and seafood processing, health care and travel, the governor’s Plan changed all of the state’s health mandates to advisories.

The Alaska State Fair falls under the “Gatherings and Community Events” section of the Plan, which states:

“Of note, large events pose greater risk of spread of COVID 19 and local permitting rules must be followed. For any gathering such as a concert, festival, etc., over 500 people where 6 feet distancing cannot be maintained at all times with facial coverings, the Division of Public Health should be consulted to discuss mitigation measures and safety plan.”

The state provided a link to the Center for Disease Control‘s recommendations for mass gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, “at a minimal-to moderate level of community transmission,” which was dated March 15, 2020.

“Cancel community-wide mass gatherings (for example, >250 people; the cutoff threshold is at the discretion of community leadership based on the current circumstances the community is facing and the nature of the event) or move to smaller groupings,” the CDC recommended.

“Production of an event the size and scope of the traditional Alaska State Fair requires extraordinary, year-round efforts of our small, hard-working staff,” Hertel said in his statement, “We need to make decisions now based on what we know today, not how we hope things will be in August. We have now reached the point that with all the conjecture surrounding mandates and recommendations for mass gatherings of this scale, it just will not be possible to deliver the same experience fairgoers have come to expect from the State’s largest celebration.”

The Alaska State Fair leadership will extend the Pop-up Drive-in movies at the fairgrounds and launch its first Food Truck Fare on May 27th to continue every Wednesday and Saturday through August 1st. 

Fairgoers who purchased tickets to this year’s fair, or events, with a credit card will receive a refund, Hertel said. The Fair will contact anyone who paid for tickets with another form of payment.

Shortly after the Fair’s announcement on Friday, a Facebook group was created called “Mat Su Community Fair 2020,” as part of a grass-roots effort to create a local fair in the Mat Su Valley. Nearly 2,000 members joined and posted their ideas within the first day.