COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — The North Idaho State Fair won't happen in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus.
North Idaho State Fair General Manager Alexcia Jordan made the announcement on Tuesday, saying that the North Idaho State Fair Board received a recommendation from local health officials to cancel the event. The decision was also made in light of a recent surge in coronavirus cases in the Panhandle.
Jordan said the fair saw more than 97,000 visitors over its five days last year. Plans for how to move forward with 4-H club programs will be sent out in the coming days, she said.
Tickets for the fair and its related events will be refunded in the next two days, Jordan said, and those with questions can contact the ticket office after July 15 at 208-765-4969. The 2021 fair is planned for Aug. 25-29, 2021, Jordan said.
Other Coeur d'Alene area events canceled
The Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association announced on June 26 that Downtown Brewfest and Car d'Alene are canceled for 2020 due to coronavirus concerns.
According to the press release, the decision to cancel the events came after consultations with the City of Coeur d'Alene and the Panhandle Health District about health and safety during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Downtown Brewfest was scheduled for July 11 and Car d'Alene was scheduled for July 17-18. The association said all registrants and vendors for the events will be given full refunds.
"While we enjoy putting on community events that help boost the local economy, we support the recommendation from Panhandle [Health District] and the City," Terry Cooper, Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association Manager said in the release. "The Downtown Board's decision to eliminate these large gatherings will hopefully minimize any increase and allow downtown small businesses to continue to operate."
Panhandle Health said in a statement in the release that it recommended the postponement or cancellation of the events due to a large amount of community transmission and a spike in cases. On both Wednesday and Thursday, the Panhandle Health District reported 24 new cases, the highest amount for the health district since the pandemic began.
