PERRY, Ga. — There will be no funnel cakes or cotton candy at the Georgia National Fairgrounds this year, and the Midway will be dark.
The 2020 fair in Perry is canceled.
Michaela Heide has been coming to the fair for as long as she can remember.
She was even crowned the 'Tiny Miss GA National Fair.'
"It just opens up the whole fall part of the year," says Heide. "I just love going and petting the animals and of course the circus and the food. I mean, there's really not a piece of the fair that I don't love."
With COVID-19 numbers still high in the state, the fairgrounds will look empty this October, no ferris wheels or funnel cakes in sight.
When Heide heard the news, she was disappointed.
"I've been going every single year. I'm 22 years old, so it's really gonna be strange not going this year."
The Georgia National Fair board met Wednesday and decided it was just too risky for staff and fairgoers to host the massive event this year.
"Everyone is disappointed. This is a huge event for all parties involved," says Chief Marketing Officer Keaton Walker.
She says after a four-and-a-half-hour discussion, the board knew it would be impossible to pull it off and still follow CDC guidelines.
"Our board and all of those that sat in on that meeting looked at every possible avenue to have the event," says Walker, "But after looking at all the regulations and requirements we would have to follow to get to that point, the decision was made to cancel this year's fair."
The news has people talking on social media.
Amy Scott says the decision is "Sad, but completely necessary."
Alexandria Hughes says she will miss the sounds of the live bands and getting hit by the smell of turkey legs and popcorn.
James Presley calls it a terrible decision, but Ferrell Francis says it needed to be done.
Every year, they bring in nearly 300 extra employees to put on the fair, but the board says many already had to back out this year because of health concerns and they say they can't pull it off without their help.
Walker says the fair typically brings in around net $3 million and last year nearly 565,000 people came through the gates, the most in the fair's history.
"It has kind of put a damper on everything, but we feel like the best decision was made yesterday," says Walker.
The 32nd Georgia National Fair will be held October 7-17, 2021.