It might be back-to-school shopping season, but summer isn’t over just yet. We’ve compiled a list of county fairs across the state and state fairs throughout the Midwest. And while many share the same elements — such as carnival rides, midway games, agriculture shows, and sticky delicious treats — some have very distinctive features. Here are some highlights.
Michigan’s County Fairs
Northwestern Michigan Fair
Location: Traverse City; since 1908
Highlights: Lawn mower races; a TNT Bump-N-Run and demolition derby; rodeos; draft horse show. Aug. 4-10. northwesternmichiganfair.net
Shiawassee County Fair
Location: Corunna; since 1850
Highlights: Crowning of the fair queen; more than 1,000 exhibitors. Aug. 4-10. shiawasseefair.com
Jackson County Fair
Location: Jackson; since 1854
Highlights: Taylor Swift-themed concert; Michigan Pony Dynamometer Association show. Aug. 4-10. jacksoncountyfair.net
Branch County Fair
Location: Coldwater; since 1930
Highlights: Antique tractor pulls; performance by Bad Mojo; TK Pro Rodeo. Aug. 4-10. branchfair.com
Western Michigan Fair
Location: Ludington; since 1936
Highlights: Homemaker of the Year announced; fireworks choreographed to music; Barnyard Boogie 5K race. Aug. 5-10. masoncountyfairgrounds.com
Bay County Fair and Youth Exposition
Location: Bay City; since 1865
Highlights: Micro wrestling; sand sculpting; interactive butterfly exhibit. Aug. 6-10. baycountyfair.com
Marquette County Fair
Location: Gwinn; since 1988
Highlights: Antique and classic car show; beer tent; American Culinary Federation cooking competition. Aug. 8-10. marquettecountyfair.org
Calhoun County Fair
Location: Marshall; since 1848
Highlights: Demolition derby; rodeo with special guest country music entertainer DeWayne Spaw. Aug. 10-17. calhouncountyfairgrounds.com/calhoun-county-fair
Midland County Fair
Location: Midland; since 1866
Highlights: Rodeo; figure 8 derby and burnout competition. Aug. 11-17. midlandfair.com
U.P. State Fair
Location: Escanaba; since 2010
Highlights: Robot Fair Play; performances by Tracy Byrd, Hailey Whitters, Parmalee, and Fuel. Aug. 12-18. upstatefair.net
Armada Fair
Location: Armada; since 1872
Highlights: Musical performance by Cooper Alan; monster truck show. Aug. 12-18. armadafair.org
Manistee County Fair
Location: Onekama; since 1887
Highlights: Michigan Horsepulling Boat Association show; micro wrestling. Aug. 13-17. manisteecountyfair.org
Oceana County Fair
Location: Hart; since 1871
Highlights: Garden tractor pull; horseback riding lessons; off-road derby. Aug. 19-24. oceanacountyfair.com
Emmet-Charlevoix County Fair
Location: Petoskey; since 1905
Highlights: Musical performances by Trace Adkins and Waylon Hanel; autocross racing; cornhole tournament. Aug. 19-25. emmetchxfair.org
Genesee County Fair
Location: Mount Morris; since 1850
Highlights: Performances by Dylan Scott, Paul Russell, and Buckcherry; Twiggy the world-famous waterskiing squirrel. Aug. 20-25. gcf.org
Houghton County Fair
Location: Hancock; since 1951
Highlights: Victoria’s Circus and Thrill Show; performance by Chad Borgen and the Collective. Aug. 22-25. houghtoncountyfair.com
Chippewa County Fair
Location: Kinross; since 1946
Highlights: Miss Chippewa County Fair Queen contest; Power Wheel race; chili cook-off. Aug. 24-Sept. 1. chippewafair.com
Midwest State Fairs
Like county fairs, state fairs tend to have many of the same attractions and types of vendors. What really stands out to us are the big-name acts that you can catch on a sultry summer night, like country artist Keith Urban or comedian Gabriel Iglesias.
Ohio State Fair
Location: Columbus; since 1850
Distance from Detroit: 200 miles
Entertainment: Ice Cube, Gabriel Iglesias, Kidz Bop, Lauren Daigle, Jamey Johnson with special guest Southall, and more.
Did you know? In 1903, the Ohio State Fair displayed the very first butter cow sculpture. July 24-Aug. 4. ohiostatefair.com
Wisconsin State Fair
Location: West Allis; since 1851
Distance from Detroit: 380 miles
Entertainment: Gabriel Iglesias, Charlie Berens, and a musical performance by TLC with opener Jordin Sparks.
Did you know? The Wisconsin State Fair was canceled three times, from 1861 to 1863, due to the Civil War. Aug. 1-11. wistatefair.com
Indiana State Fair
Location: Indianapolis; since 1892
Distance from Detroit: 290 miles
Entertainment: Three Dog Night, Gladys Knight, Dog-star, Bell Biv DeVoe, and Gary Allan
Did you know? The Indiana State Fair is held on more than 1 million square feet of land. Aug. 2-18. indianastatefair.com/p/state-fair
Illinois State Fair
Location: Springfield; since 1853
Distance from Detroit: 455 miles
Entertainment: Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, the Jonas Brothers, and Lil Wayne
Did you know? In 1858, an inexperienced hot air balloon operator flew 20 miles from the fair to a farmhouse, accidentally landing in a tree. There, the farmer and wife helped him down and tied the balloon to the fence. However, one thing led to another, and their two young children got into the balloon and accidently ascended into the sky, luckily landing safely 18 miles away. Aug. 8-18. statefair.illinois.gov
Michigan State Fair
Location: Novi; since 1849
Distance from Detroit: 30 miles
Entertainment: While the old Michigan State Fair (1849-2009 at Eight Mile and Woodward) attracted top talent like Bob Hope and Alice Cooper back in the day, today’s fair hosts rising talent with its State Fair Superstar talent mentoring competition in which performers from across the state compete in the semifinals and finals live onstage.
Did you know? While located on Woodward and Eight Mile Road, the fair was home to the world’s largest stove, starting in 1965 until it was ultimately destroyed in a fire in 2011. Aug. 29-Sept. 2. michiganstatefairllc.com.
This story originally appeared in the August 2024 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on Aug. 6.
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