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LA County Fair in Pomona. | Photo courtesy of Circe Denyer via Public Domain Pictures (CCO)
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After nearly 100 years of holding the LA County Fair in September, organizers announced Tuesday that it is permanently moving its dates to May, starting next year when the event celebrates its centennial.
A late spring/early summer schedule offers fairgoers perfect weather to visit one of the largest fairs in the country. The dates for 2022 — May 5 to May 30 — also offers a chance for the fair to host a fiesta on Cinco de Mayo, celebrate moms on Mother’s Day and invite everyone out for a BBQ summer kick-off on Memorial Day weekend.
“What better way to celebrate these family-oriented occasions than with the beloved LA County Fair?” Interim CEO Walter M. Marquez said. “It’s a perfect time to present our annual celebration — kids are preparing for the end of the school year, families are planning for weekends and the weather will be perfect.”
The fair was canceled this year and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This afforded organizers the opportunity to consider options for how the event should move forward for its next 100 years. During the last few Septembers, the fair experienced triple-digit heat that negatively impacted fairgoers, vendors and partners.
If a decision to change dates was on the table, this was the perfect time to make the move, Marquez said.
“In 12 short months, we look forward to welcoming guests back to our campus to rekindle memories, establish new traditions and experience the fair we all love — all while enjoying the pleasant May climate,” said Los Angeles County Fair Association Board Chair Heidi Hanson.
Guests can expect to experience the fair of the past, present and future as the 2022 LA County Fair celebrates the 100th anniversary of the very first fair held in 1922 with the theme “Back to Our Roots.” From remembering the fair’s early days of tent expositions to the introduction of mid-century inventions like the Frisbee to the home of the future, the 2022 fair will embody nostalgia, warmth and good old-fashioned fun, organizers said.
Although a large-scale fair was canceled this year, the fair is planning to host a Fair Food event in late September — a swan song to the season in which the fair played for nearly 100 years.
