The Washington State Fair is requiring all attendees ages 5 and up to wear a mask both indoors and outdoors, according to a notice the fair issued Tuesday.
“We realize that some of our guests might not agree with this mandate, but it is crucial we adhere to this, for us to open our gates – and remain open,” officials wrote in the notice. “So please, bring your mask and wear it during your visit. Have a great time at the biggest party in the state. We understand if you need to skip our party this year, but we look forward to seeing you again soon.”
The fair said it will enforce this order but will follow guidance from the state Department of Health and honor medical exemptions for mask wearing. Attendees without an exemption will be granted a mask upon entry if they forget to bring one, the notice said.
Officials said they will not be refunding tickets unless the fair is canceled. Tickets to individual concerts will also not be refunded unless that concert is canceled.
The fair, which is held annually in Puyallup, is scheduled to begin Friday and end Sept. 26. It is consistently one of the largest fairs in the world and routinely receives more than 1 million visitors each year. It was canceled last year for the first time since World War II due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Evergreen State Fair, which is held in Monroe, began Thursday and requires masks in indoor settings only. The Washington state Fair's outdoor mask requirement is the first such requirement since the statewide mask mandate ended in the spring. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee brought the statewide indoor mask mandate back earlier this month.
In addition to the mask order, the fair scaled back rides by 10% and vendors by 25%. It’s also offering COVID vaccines daily at two locations on the fairgrounds, and officials say they’re going to test fair employees for the virus before and during the multi-week event.
The fair’s announcement comes at a time when COVID cases are surging in Washington. The state is currently averaging more than 3,300 cases a day and hospitalizations are up 40% over the last two weeks.
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