Pearl Jam Cancels Dates at Del Mar Fair : Entertainment: Rock group backs out after Sheriff’s Department indicates concern over possible rowdiness. Tickets for June 26 and 27 events had sold out in 13 minutes.

The rock group Pearl Jam testily announced Monday that it has canceled two sold-out concerts at the Del Mar Fair after the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department expressed concern about possible rowdiness.

The group angrily pulled out of June 26 and 27 concerts at the fairgrounds. Tickets for the events had sold out in 13 minutes. The concerts were the only Southern California dates scheduled on Pearl Jam’s tour.

The surprise cancellation came as officials from the Del Mar fair and the Sheriff’s Department were working to beef up security through the use of additional private security guards. Pearl Jam’s publicist faxed a statement to the news media and to fair officials announcing the cancellation.

This statement quoted band member Eddie Vedder, a former resident of San Diego, saying: “Not to make enemies, but it seems the officials in San Diego have overreacted, creating an impossible situation. It’s a shame, really. Have a little more faith.” The statement also said the band hopes to play for San Diego fans later this year.

(The cancellation was announced after the publication of The Times’ Calendar section Monday, which includes a Morning Report item stating that the shows would go on with increased security.)

The concerts were to be staged at the fair’s 13,000-seat grandstand. The fair, which opens Thursday and runs through July 4, also has scheduled concerts by Smokey Robinson, Roberta Flack, Anne Murray, the Allman Brothers and other groups.

“Obviously we are disappointed,” said fair spokeswoman Jill Esterbrooks. “We wanted Pearl Jam here. And we felt very confident that we were going to be able to satisfy the concerns about security and provide a safe and sane environment for fairgoers.”

Ron Reina, spokesman for Sheriff Bill Kolender, said, “We’re sorry it had to come to this.

“I imagine we’re going to be made out the heavy in this, but all we were doing was expressing concerns about safety,” Reina said. “We wanted to keep the county fair a wholesome, family function as it has always been.”

The Sheriff’s Department has been worried both about rowdiness and about possible gate-crashers. Although the fair has concerts each year, the Pearl Jam concerts would have been the most heavily attended in fair history. Refunds for the canceled concerts will be available by mail through ETM Entertainment Network.

Times staff writer Chuck Philips contributed to this story.