A little more than two weeks after the Mississippi Valley Fair announced it would scale back its offerings this year, including no big-name grandstand acts, on Tuesday it said it would cancel the 101-year-old tradition altogether. The fair, at 2815 W. Locust St., was scheduled for Aug. 4-9.

“We have continued to work closely with the Scott County Health Department to ensure that if we put on a fair this year we met all the requirements of the principles shared by both organizations,” MVF general manager Shawn Loter posted Tuesday on Facebook.

Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds will remain dark this year as the fair has been canceled due to covid.

“Health leaders determined our safety plan was consistent with guidance and best practices for events such as ours. We also agreed to meet again as the fair drew closer in case there were changes in our community in COVID-related cases.”

Loter noted there has been a consistent rise in Covid cases in the Quad-Cities this month. Since June 26, the total number of positive cases in Rock Island and Scott counties has jumped from 1,406 to 2,332 – which includes a nearly doubling of incidence in Scott County in just the past 18 days.

“After consulting again with the health department, our fair board and management team have determined that it is in the best interests for you, and the generations who have made so many great memories at the fairgrounds, to cancel the fair for 2020,” Loter posted.

“We know many of you will be disappointed. We are too. But know this – we will be working hard behind the scenes to bring you a 2021 summer event like no other. We remain committed to providing the kind of high quality, safe, and entertaining family experiences unmatched by any fair our size.”

In late June, the fair announced changes that it hoped would allow the event to continue safely, by scaling down to a daily attendance of 3,000, from an average of 6,000 on the 84-acre fairgrounds, relocating events and attractions to allow for recommended social distancing practices.

The fair had announced no large grandstand concerts in 2020, and canceling of the big concerts previously scheduled, including Keith Urban and Pitbull. It planned to program local bands in the grandstand, which has a seating capacity of 6,000.

For more information, visit facebook.com/mvfair/.

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Jonathan Turner

Jonathan Turner -- who has called the Quad Cities home since 1995 -- has decades of experience as a professional journalist and pianist. His experience writing for daily newspapers, public radio and local TV encompasses a wide range of subjects, including the arts, politics, education, economic development, historic preservation, business, and tourism.

Jonathan most loves writing about music and the arts (which he now does as a freelancer for the River Cities Reader and Visit Quad Cities). He has a passion for accompanying musicals, singers, choirs and instrumentalists, including playing for QC Music Guild's 2023 productions of RENT and SWEENEY TODD. He is assistant music director and accompanist for the spring 2025 Music Guild show, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. He wrote an original musical based on The Book of Job, which premiered at Playcrafters in 2010. Jonathan penned a 175-page history book about downtown Davenport, that was published by The History Press in 2016, and a travel guide about the QC published by Reedy Press in 2022.