Chautauqua County Fair Canceled, Organizers Blame Lack Of State Guidance


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DUNKIRK – The Chautauqua County Fair will not take place this summer.

President of the county Fair Board of Directors, Dave Wilson, tells WNY News Now lack of guidance from New York State is to blame.





Last week Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state fair will happen this summer, however failed to mention guidance for county fairs, guidelines Wilson was looking to.

“There is a lot of speculation, but the fair board felt we can not live on speculation, we need something a little more concert to work with,” explained Wilson. “We just can’t snap our fingers and put a fair together, it takes a lot of planning.”

Wilson says he hopes other local fairs can get guidance from the state to hold their festivals this summer.





















“Nobody feels worse than the Chautauqua County Fair Board, we feel bad because there is a lot of vendors that depend on us, a lot of people that look forward to coming, the exhibitors, the farm families,” furthered Wilson. “We didn’t want to be the ones that said, ‘wait and see, wait and see,’ and all of a sudden we have to cancel.”

The President hopes the community understands his reasoning behind the decision.

This is the second year the fair has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wilson says he is optimistic the fair will take place next year from July 18 through the 24.









 

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