Cancelation of this summer’s Orange County Fair is expected to result in an economic impact loss of up to $350 million, the event’s board said Monday.
The fair had been slated to run July 17 through August 16 and has been held in Southern California for 130 years. The only other time it’s been cancelled was during World War II.
The event brings nearly 1.3 million visitors a year—about 30% of the OC Fair & Event Center’s 4.3 million overall annual total across 150 events—and employs more than 13,000 part-time workers.
“We strongly believe it is the right thing to do,” said Board Chair Sandra Cervantes of the unanimous decision.
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