The San Diego County Fair is the latest major event to be canceled in San Diego because of COVID-19. It was scheduled to run from June 5 to July 5 with more than 1 million people attending.
"When you walk through those gates something really special happens — the smells, the sounds. The fairgrounds has that feel that you can’t get anywhere else you go," said Charlie Boghosian, better known as "Chicken Charlie."
Chicken Charlie's has been a staple at the county fair for years.
"I’ve been going to the fair since 1984," he said. "I’ve never missed a year. This has just never happened before."
If you have been to the fair you can’t miss his food: cotton candy ice cream sandwiches, triple-decker doughnut cheeseburgers and, "Of course we’re known for the deep-fried — I invented deep-fried Oreos," Boghosian said.
All that will have to wait until next year now with officials postponing this year's fair.
"Safety is first, so that’s what we have to go with and fun is second," Boghosiansaid.
RELATED: San Diego County Fair Pushed To 2021 Because Of Coronavirus Pandemic
Even though he won't be serving up deep-fried goodness at the fair, he is bringing the eats to his restaurant, Chicken Charlie's Table, in Rancho Bernardo.
"I’m going to try my best to mimic it over here and do some deep-fried love if you will," Boghosian said.
The fair is hosted every year by the state-owned Del Mar Fairgrounds.
"It’s devastating — it’s devastating to the vendors who work the fair," Tim Fennell, CEO of the fairgrounds said.
"There’s probably 4,000 to 5,000 people that work during fair time here — earning a living," Fennell said. "The economic impact is about $250 million."
With health officials saying that coronavirus restrictions will likely continue into summer, fair officials had no choice.
"We’re going to air on the side of safety," Fennell said.
Up until this week, all options were on the table.
"We looked at the possibility of instead of a four-week fair, a three week, or a two week," Fennell said.
The fair is a huge economic driver and Fennel said they are looking at hosting a festival later in the year.
"Wouldn’t be a fair necessarily, but we still would anticipate entertainment, some rides, food," he said.
RELATED: Record Number Of Unemployment Claims Filed As San Diegans Struggle To Make Ends Meet
In the meantime, with no fair, Boghosian will not be hiring workers this summer in San Diego.
"I mean, we’re a small company and we hired over 300 people every summer at the San Diego County fair," he said. "So we’re not going to be able to hire those 300 people."
Boghosian now has to rely on just his restaurant’s take out sales.
"(The restaurant) is the baby," he said. "The fair businesses is the granddaddy. All the money comes from the fair."
Each year Boghosian unveils a new deep-fried treat for the fair.
"The new item was going to be deep-fried taffy — deep-fried saltwater taffy," Boghosian said. He plans to offer it as a special at his restaurant.
All Boghosian can do is stay positive.
"I’m already dreaming of 2021," he said.
Boghosian goes to four fairs a year, with San Diego being the first. Up next is Orange County, Los Angeles and Fresno, depending on whether they too get canceled.
