Update: Details released on fair cattle drive cancellation
Cowboys, cattle, crowds and more kicked off the opening day of the 2014 California Mid-State Fair. Photo by Meagan Friberg
Update July 20, 3:30 p.m. – California Mid-State Fair CEO Vivian Robertson says in an email that “logistical issues” preventing the traditional cattle drive from taking place this year are partially due to lack of ability to use a staging area that was previously used for the drive.
“There has always been a huge amount of resources that allows the cattle drive to be produced each year,” she said in an email to the Paso Robles Daily News. “One of those being is the land to stage the cattle. The property has been sold and is no longer available to us. This staging area is imperative to the control and success of the drive. The cattle are hauled in early and settled before they are trailed over Union Road to Creston Road & 13th Street, across the bridge, then traveling down Riverside Avenue. This entire process takes an enormous amount of the city’s personnel to facilitate road closures and assist with all of the traffic control…” Robertson was unable to be reached by phone to discuss the issues further.
Paso Robles City staff at the engineering division were unavailable at the time of this update for comment regarding the city’s role in facilitating the event. More information will be posted as it is received.
Original story July 20, 7 a.m.:
Mid-State Fair cancels cattle drive
The Mid-State Fair announced this weekend that, due to logistical issues, the fair is unable to produce the annual cattle drive that typically travels through the streets of Paso Robles, arriving at the fair on opening day.
Mid-State Fair spokesman Tom Keffury said he could not go into more detail about the logistical issues. Fair CEO Vivian Robertson could not be reached for comment.
The gates for the 2015 Fair will officially swing open at noon on Wednesday, July 22. At 4:30 p.m. they will host the first-ever fair parade on the Midway, inside the fair grounds.
