The San Diego County Fair Will Go On

By Tigist Layne, the Voice of San Diego

April 19, 2022

This post originally appeared in the Tuesday, April 19, Morning Report. Subscribe to the daily newsletter here.

After lengthy negotiations over the weekend, the 22nd District Agricultural Association reached a settlement that will allow the San Diego County Fair to continue as scheduled.

We reported this week that the 22nd District, which oversees the fair and the Del Mar Fairgrounds, has been wrapped up in a lawsuit brought on by Talley Amusements, a carnival operator that accused the Fairgrounds CEO of rigging the contract to favor its competitor, Ray Cammack Shows.

A judge issued a preliminary injunction earlier this month, which could have canceled the rides and games at the fair if a deal wasn’t reached. Under the terms of the new settlement, the district will contract multiple companies, including Ray Cammack Shows and Talley Amusements, for different rides and games.

The lawsuit, however, will not be dismissed as a condition of the deal, the Union-Tribune reported. Under the settlement, the lawsuit will be paused temporarily until the fair is over.

Though the judge concluded in his ruling that the 22nd District likely rigged the contract, Fairgrounds CEO Carlene Moore still remains in her position and has still not been held accountable by the 22nd District or by the state, which oversees the District.

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