Gun shows will be back at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in September and December following a judge's order that a ban on the shows be lifted until a final ruling is made in a federal lawsuit.
The fair board voted last year to stop the shows until it could develop a policy that would allow displays without sales of firearms or ammunition. The action was in response to the outcry following the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. in February of 2018.
The owners of the shows, Crossroads of The West, sued the board, arguing that the shows are protected by the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment. Several gun rights groups joined the suit.
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In June, U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo ordered that the state must allow the shows to continue while the court rules on the legality of the suspension. This week, Crossroads of The West announced shows scheduled for Sept. 28 and 29, and Dec. 14 and 15.
"We expect the Crossroads of the West Gun Show will return to the Del Mar Fairgrounds with two shows in the 2019 calendar year," said Fairgrounds CEO Tim Fennell in a statement. "Contracts for these dates have been issued and are awaiting execution."
Fennell said future bookings will depend on the final ruling, which is expected before the end of the year. "Our direction moving forward will be determined by that ruling," he said. "We’re listing to community input and are following the mandates of the court."
State Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, who has introduced legislation to prohibit the sale of guns and ammunition at the state-owned fairgrounds, said he was disappointed by the ruling.
“It is unfortunate that the gun lobby, who values guns more than people, has put the Del Mar Fair Board in between a rock and a hard place," Gloria said in a statement. "However, I remain undeterred from moving forward my legislation to prohibit gun and ammunition sales at the Del Mar Fairgrounds."
