Sonoma-Marin Fair Canceled Due To Coronavirus

PETALUMA, CA — This year's annual Sonoma-Marin Fair has been canceled due to safety concerns stemming from the coronavirus crisis, organizers announced Friday.

The festival, scheduled for the last week of June, was canceled following an emergency board meeting this week, organizers said in a statement, citing extended shelter-in-place orders around the Bay Area. (Sonoma County's has been extended indefinitely.)

The Sonoma-Marin Fair features musical performances and the famous World's Ugliest Dog Contest. This is the first year in decades that the fair will not occur in person, organizers said, although they are exploring the possibility of virtual events.

The fair also gives out nearly $35,000 in scholarships and awards each year, and the fair board is exploring ways to do so again this year.

Organizers encouraged exhibitors to stay in contact, saying they may have the opportunity to participate virtually.

"It is our mission to showcase agriculture, and the unique talents and interests of the residents of Marin and Sonoma Counties," CEO Allison Keaney said in a statement. "We are a wonderfully diverse community with so much talent. It is important that we find a way to showcase this, even if it’s online."

To sign up for updates about the virtual fair, email info@sonoma-marinfair.org.

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