Sonoma-Marin Fair still scheduled to start June 24

The Sonoma-Marin Fair, Petaluma’s celebration of agriculture, ugly dogs, music and fried food, is still scheduled for the end of June, despite signals from health authorities that such public events are unlikely this summer amid extended public precautions to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Those signals have already led Marin County officials to cancel their July fair, which joins a growing list of parades, concerts and other festivals postponed or called off over the next four months.

Sonoma-Marin Fair officials acknowledged they already are drawing up contingency plans that would allow them to hold some exhibitions online, including livestock judging, but not the famed World’s Ugliest Dog Contest.

Allison Keaney, CEO of the fair that draws 60,000 people over five days, said organizers continue to work off of the latest order from Sonoma County Health Officer Sundari Mase, which calls for social distancing and sheltering in place through May 3.

“We’re deferring to the guidance of the county’s public health department,” she said. “If public health says we can hold the fair, we will.”

But Mase, at a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, said she did not foresee big events like festivals and fairs happening this summer.

In an interview Friday, Mase said fair officials would have to abide by whatever limits state and county leaders set forward in any shelter-in-place order that’s effective when those fairs are set to happen.

“I think the best thing, actually, is to have a discussion with the planners of these events and discuss the reasons why we feel that those events shouldn’t go forward. So that would be what we would do,” Mase said. “And maybe that would obviate the need for any enforcement at all.”

Marin County this week canceled its July 1-5 fair.

Jeff James, president of the Sonoma-Marin Fair board, declined to answer questions Friday about why the Petaluma fair remained on track when others in the North Bay and statewide have been called off amid precautions about the risks of large crowds.

James referred questions to Keaney, citing board policy to let the CEO answer media questions.

The Sonoma-Marin Fair is scheduled for June 24 through 28, with the popular World’s Ugliest Dog Contest on June 26. Keaney said none of the vendors have canceled so far, including entertainment bookings. Music acts include country music’s Charlie Daniels Band, pop trio Wilson Phillips, country singer Randy Houser, rhythm and blues artists The Spinners and Fiesta Latina.

If the shelter-in-place order is partially lifted, Keaney said fair organizers would hold a limited, private exhibition of livestock and arts and crafts. If the lockdown is extended through June, she said the fair would hold a virtual exhibition, where participants are judged based on photos of their entries.

“Our exhibitioners, especially the youth with their animals and arts and crafts, have worked hard all year and they want feedback,” Keaney said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s an opportunity to give exhibitor feedback.”

Keaney said organizers would likely make a decision the week of May 3 based on the updated health orders.

Postponing the fair later in the summer was not an option because of other events planned for the fairgrounds, Keaney said. The city of Petaluma’s firework show on July 4 and the Petaluma Music Festival on August 1 are still planned as scheduled.

Mase in her Tuesday comments suggested that those events were unlikely to go forward.

“I don’t see us having big concerts and huge events like the film festivals, big Fourth of July celebrations where lots of people get together,” she told county supervisors. “I don’t foresee that happening this summer.”

Later in the fall, the fairgrounds needs to remain available in case it is needed as an emergency shelter during fire season, Keaney said. The fairgrounds served as a shelter in two of the past three years.

The fairgrounds are hosting a blood drive April 30 and May 1, and a drive-thru food donation drop on April 25.

The Sonoma-Marin Fair is operated by the state’s 4th District Agricultural Association. Plans are still underway for the two-week Sonoma County Fair Aug. 5 to 16 in Santa Rosa.

(Press Democrat Staff Writer Will Schmitt contributed to this report. Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)