Dates announced for California State Fair at Cal Expo in 2022

The California State Fair and Food Festival is set to return to Cal Expo next summer after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

On Friday, the board of directors of the California Exposition and State Fair announced the return of the fair for 17 days – from July 15, 2022 to July 31, 2022.

The award-winning California State International Fair will feature a comprehensive list of contests, including the best wines, cheeses, craft beers, olive oils and fine art in California, to name a few. It’s also a destination that celebrates California’s best in agriculture, technology, and the diversity of the Golden State.

Coming in 2022, the state fair will for the first time host a competition – open to all licensed cannabis growers in the state – to judge the best cannabis in California.

“We are delighted to announce that the California State Fair will return in 2022,” Jess Durfee, president of Cal Expo, said in a press release. “While Cal Expo has been honored to provide much-needed support and assistance to Californians during this health crisis, our region and state have sorely missed the excitement of the State Fair.”

Since the start of the pandemic, the grounds of Cal Expo have been almost entirely dedicated to the COVID-19 response – serving as a mass testing and vaccination site, as well as a refuge for homeless residents.

Since 1968, Cal Expo has been designated as a place to recognize California’s accomplishments, agriculture, diversity, traditions and trends. Hundreds of events, including the State Fair, are held annually at the 350-acre site at 1600 Exposition Blvd. in Sacramento.

The consecutive cancellations were the first time the State Fair had been canceled since WWII. More than half of the state agency’s revenue comes from the event, which drew more than 600,000 people in 2019.

Agency revenues have been declining for some time, as has fair attendance. Lawmakers have provided an injection of funds to maintain the state-owned facility during the pandemic.

The return to events at the Sacramento facility has been slow but gaining momentum as Cal Expo hosted the Sad Summer Festival in August and continues to host Republic FC football games at Heart Health Park. Other concerts are planned in the coming months, including a musical stop by alternative groups 311 (10 Oct) and Violent Femmes (12 Oct), Stamp and Scrapbook Expo (22-23 Oct) and Harvest festival for arts and crafts (November 19-21).

This story was originally published September 24, 2021 at 3:24 pm.