Organizers cancel Southeast Alaska State Fair, citing virus

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Organizers of the Southeast Alaska State Fair said Friday that the summer event in Haines has been canceled this year due to COVID-19.

In a statement, fair officials said it was a difficult decision but the right one to make.

“For us and many across Southeast Alaska and the Yukon, the Fair is something to look forward to at the end of the summer, a moment of congregation and fun separate from the rest of the year,” the statement reads. “2020 has instead united us with the common goal of preserving the health and safety of loved ones and strangers alike.”

Meanwhile, the state Department of Public Safety said it will not hold a ceremony next week to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, citing the coronavirus. The ceremony previously has taken place during a memorial week.

The department said a remembrance, however, would be recorded and shared.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in a release, encouraged Alaskans to visit local memorials, while practicing social distancing.