BROCKTON, MASS. (WHDH) - After a two-year hiatus, the Brockton Fair is canceled again — this time for good.
The almost 60-acre lot that was once lit up under carnival lights now sits empty. The owners of the property, the Carney family, said the pandemic forced them to keep the fair out of town after more than a century of tradition.
“It was very difficult,” said Chris Carney. “It’s like closing a family business. It’s been very difficult.”
City leaders said COVID-19 is not the only factor in the fair’s permanent closure.
“It seems like attendance at the fair is waning and I guess I can see how expensive it can be to manage an event like that, it just obviously isn’t making fiscal sense,” said city councilor Tom Minichiello.
Now the once-beloved grandstand is covered in graffiti and rust, the stall are closed and piles of dirt cover the massive field where live music once played.
All of it used to define summer for people who grew up here.
The parking lot now houses Brockton Public School buses until leaders decide on the next lease on this property’s life.
“We love Brockton, and we want to move it to the next level,” Carney said.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)