Photo: www.jacksonvillefair.com/
On Friday, September 18, the organizers of the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair announced it is being canceled due to COVID-19. In a statement released on the Fair’s official website, President and CEO Bill Olson said the following:
The safety of the Jacksonville Fair’s visitors, participants and community is the highest priority in producing the annual fair. After much discussion and debate with the Fair board and stakeholders, it became clear that cancellation was the prudent choice for the fair to do its part to improve community health and safety, and reduce the cycle of infection. The Jacksonville Fair will return bigger and better than ever November 4 – 14, 2021.
The Fair was supposed to run from November 5 – 15 this year.
The impact of the Fair’s cancellation will be felt far beyond the loss of our annual celebration, we are heartbroken for the small businesses, seasonal workers, competitors, exhibitors, vendors and community outreach groups who rely on the income and exposure the Jacksonville Fair brings them.We look forward to when we can gather again to celebrate all that is exceptional about Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. Until then, stay safe, be well and support each other. We’ll miss you.
Bill Olson, CFE
President/CEO”
Although the fair has been canceled, the association announced a food distribution event would now be held at the Downtown Jacksonville Fairgrounds next to the sports complex, sometime before Thanksgiving. Details for that event are still being developed.
The Fair will be held tentatively on November 4 – 14, 2021.
To get a feel for all the festivities and fun things that take place during the Fair, we recommend you take a look at the 2019 Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair video.
The annual fall event brings livestock shows, rides, games and concerts to the area next to Jacksonville’s sports complex, along with an animal exhibition space.
The first Jacksonville Fair was in 1955. It educates attendees about science, the arts, agriculture and horticulture and features various rides and booths.
The fairgrounds will be used to “support and serve the community,” the news release said. The fair is planning a food distribution event leading up to Thanksgiving. For more information about the Fair, please visit the Jacksonville Fair website. The Fair is located at 510 Fairgrounds Place, Jacksonville, FL, 32202, Ph: 904-353-0535.
About the Fair
The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair is the largest fair/festival in northeast Florida and is currently ranked 47th in the United States by Amusement Business. The Fair has an estimated economic impact on Duval County in excess of $10 million. The impact to the City of Jacksonville through lease revenues and revenues from parking during the 12 days of the Fair is annually in excess of $195,000. The Greater Jacksonville Fair Association is a private, 501(c)3 not-for-profit educational corporation chartered by the state of Florida and dedicated to maintaining a high-quality family Fair.
About the City of Jacksonville
Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. As of 2019, Jacksonville’s population was estimated to be 911,507, making it the 12th most populous city in the United States., the most populous city in the Southeast, and the most populous city in the South outside of the state of Texas. People from Jacksonville are sometimes called “Jacksonvillians” or “Jaxsons” (also spelled “Jaxons”).
Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
