Most of the events at the Tulsa State Fair have been cancelled following a unanimous vote by the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority, citing COVID-19 concerns.
Tulsa County Commissioner for District 1 Stan Sallee said the board proposed a social distancing plan that would allow the entire event to proceed as normal, but the Tulsa County Health Department denied the request. This led to the authority’s unanimous vote to cancel the majority of the fair during a meeting Tuesday.
“I personally feel that we could have put on that fair and did it in a very safe and healthy manner,” Sallee said. “But, you know, without the endorsement of the health department, we weren't going to take that risk.”
The Tulsa County Health Department did approve plans for the livestock events, with social distancing precautions, Sallee said.
The fair was planned for Oct. 1-11, and typically attracts approximately one million people every year.
The Oklahoma State Fair, which was scheduled to take place in September, was also cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. A modified version of the Oklahoma Youth Expo, a livestock event for 4-H and FFA will replace the event.
