The 2020 Clackamas County Fair and Camny Rodeo has been canceled.
The move was expected following new guidance from Governor Kate Brown last week that large events would be prohibited through at least September, as well as the cancellation of many other summer festivals including the Oregon State Fair, but Clackamas County Fairgrounds Executive Director Laurie Bothwell confirmed the news Wednesday afternoon.
“The fair board, my staff — none of us take that lightly. It’s like losing our best friend,” she said. “But we want to have the community be safe, and the social distancing measures of sitting in the rodeo arena… It’s just too soon. Hopefully, we’ll be back bigger and stronger next year.”
She said the fairgrounds is working with the Clackamas County Jr. Livestock Auction to arrange alternatives, perhaps even a virtual auction, that would allow the youth of the county to still showcase their hard work (and earn a little money for their trouble).
Bothwell asked residents to follow to the fairgrounds’ Facebook page, where staff will be sharing updates about future activities that would be permitted under the coronavirus guidelines.
“We are planning some things,” she said. “We might not be able to do the fair. We might not be able to walk around and do some of the other events, 4-H Horse Fair, things like that. But we are working on some things to bring the community together in a safe way, so stay tuned.”
The Clackamas County Fair started in 1907, and has been held at the fairgrounds in Canby for over 110 years. The 2020 fair had been scheduled for Aug. 18-22.
