Fairground and Community Resilience Centers Program

The Fairground and Community Resilience Centers Program focuses on improving both local fairground and other community facilities to enhance the state’s emergency preparedness capabilities, particularly in response to climate change.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Fairs and Expositions Branch (F&E) was appropriated a one-time General Fund allocation of $150 million for fairground and community resilience centers.

Funding will be used to support infrastructure for emergency evacuation, shelter, base camps during emergency events, and critical deferred maintenance. Elements for this infrastructure may include cooling and heating centers, clean air centers, and extended emergency evacuation response centers with community kitchens, shower facilities, broadband, back-up power and other community needs due to wildfires, floods, and other emergencies or climate events.

Of the total $150 million appropriated to CDFA and pursuant to the Budget Act of 2021, $10 million was provided to the California Exposition and State Fair, $7.5 million will be used for administrative costs, $94.5 million will be awarded to community resilience projects on fairgrounds within the Network of California Fairs and $38 million will be awarded to other community centers throughout the state.

The fairgrounds to receive resiliency funding will be selected by CDFA based on a set of criteria decided upon by CDFA and representatives of the fair industry, including the California Fair Services Authority (CFSA), Western Fairs Association (WFA), California Construction Authority (CCA), California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Fairgrounds selected for resiliency funds will be announced in November 2022 and will undergo a facility assessment conducted by CCA. The facility assessment will provide CDFA with a detailed scope of work and an estimated budget and timeline. Funding for fairgrounds projects is expected to be awarded in early 2023.

The projects awarded to community centers will be awarded through a competitive application process. Technical assistance for the completion and submittal of the applications will be offered by CDFA. An administrative, technical, and financial review will be performed on all eligible applicants. Please see the estimated timeline below for the CRC Program activities.

If you have questions about the CDFA’s Fairgrounds and Community Resilience Centers Program, please email us at crcprogram@cdfa.ca.gov.