‘Not off the table’: Could Sacramento’s summer heat prompt changes to the state fair schedule?

(FOX40.COM) — The California State Fair endured record-breaking heat this summer, which has prompted discussions about why the annual event takes place during the hottest time in Sacramento.

Summer 2024 has been a hot one for Sacramento, with the fair’s first weekend falling under an Excessive Heat Warning, and the city already eclipsing last year’s total number of days above 100 degrees.

“They do a good job with fans for the livestock and they started doing for the public, when you walk around and they have misters,” said FFA State Advisor Charles Parker. “Obviously, the attendance is affected on hot days. The attendance is down and whenever we had mild summers, the attendance was always up at the state fair.”

The California State Fair is a summer tradition in Sacramento, taking place in mid-July since 2010. The fair used to start in mid-August and end on Labor Day weekend, but was shifted to earlier dates due to schools starting classes earlier.

Due to the hot weather at recent state fairs, there have been discussions about moving the fair’s start time, but it isn’t as simple as most people think.

“It’s at least a three-year process so we have to evaluate everything considering other fair schedules and our schedule,” California State Fair spokesperson Darla Givens told FOX40.com. “Horse racing plays a big factor in that, as well as our food vendors, carnival vendors, commercial vendors and taking into consideration the part-time staff that we hire during the summer months.”

Givens added there’s no current proposal from state fair staff of moving back the state fair’s dates, but it’s “not off the table,” as it takes research before a decision is made.

“There’s just a lot of work to be done before and after an actual decision on when that happens,” Givens said. “It’s so much bigger than just yes or no. It’s a bigger picture. It’s a little more complex.”

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