Fair Board postpones Colusa Farm Show

The 56th annual Colusa Farm Show will not happen in February as usual, but the 44th District Agriculture Association hasn’t given up hope entirely for a 2021 event. 

The Fair Board last week voted to postpone the Colusa County Fairgrounds’ most lucrative revenue source, which help funds general maintenance and operations of the state-owned facility and grounds. 

It’s also an important event for the agricultural community and related businesses. 

“Once again, the COVID pandemic and the State of California have overpowered our ability to host any type of event at the Fairgrounds,” said Laura Ford, chief executive officer. 

The cancellation of Farm Show comes as just one more negative effect of COVID-19 for the the fairgrounds, which was forced to cancel all events since March, including the Colusa County Fair, Pumpkin Village, and the Holiday Craft Fair. 

The cancellation also comes as an enormous financial loss to exhibitors, food vendors, area hotels, restaurants, local farm equipment dealers, auto dealers, and other local businesses, including the Pioneer Review, which publishes the annual Farm Show Exhibitors Guide. 

The World Ag Expo, in Tulare, which is held annually the week after the Colusa Farm Show, cancelled its exposition entirely for 2021, but is scheduled to resume the following year at its regular dates of Feb. 8-10, 2022. 

For Colusa’s show, which draws approximately 350 vendors and 40,000 attendees, fair officials have not ruled out a 2021 show later in the year. 

Fair officials said the decision was not taken lightly, and comes after months of evaluating known constraints and researching other options, including possibly hosting the event on private property. 

“This decision was a tough one and all other options were explored,” Ford said. 

The board formalized their decision to postpone the Farm Show at their Nov. 18 meeting to provide exhibitors, attendees, volunteers, concessionaires, contractors, and local businesses time to adjust. The Fairgrounds also began issuing refunds last week to those vendors who had already returned their contracts and paid their booth rental fees. 

“Moving forward we will monitor the State of California’s covid restrictions in hopes of having the 2021 Colusa Farm Show later in the year,” Ford said.  

Ford has assured vendors that the fairgrounds would reserve their spots and same locations for the 2021 show, if the event moves forward, and the 2022 show. 

“Knowing we are all in this together, my wish is for each and every vendor and its employees continued support from your patrons, and continued health and safety,” Ford said. 

The Fair Board hopes to have a prospective date for a 2021 Farm Show, which has been held annually since 1965, early in the new year.