SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois State Fair in Springfield and the Du Quoin State Fair have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday said in a statement canceling the fairs is the right choice that was based on the guidance of the Illinois Department of Public Health and other experts.
The Illinois State Fair, held annually in August, was last canceled from 1942 to 1945 during World War II.
This year is the first time the Du Quoin State Fair has been canceled since the state took over the fairgrounds in 1986.
A spokesman says Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady of Bloomington is disappointed by Pritzker's unilateral action.
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- These St. Louis area fairs have been canceled this year
