Richmond fair won't happen after all

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The head of a Tennessee company that planned to stage a fair in Richmond says the event won't take place because city police didn't issue a required permit.

Universal Fairs president Mark Lovell said Wednesday his company didn't get the needed permit to hold the Richmond Fair, which was scheduled to start Sunday in the parking lot of The Diamond, the former home of the minor-league Richmond Braves. An attempt to hold the fair in neighboring Henrico County was previously scrapped over a security disagreement.

The company and an affiliate, Fair Nation, had planned a rival fair to the State Fair of Virginia. The nonprofit company that runs the State Fair sued the companies in March, accusing them of unfair competition and trademark infringement. The lawsuit was settled in May.

The State Fair will be held in Caroline County in September.