Biggest County Fairs in Michigan
Abby Grant
| 10 min read
There are many fun things to do during Michigan summers but attending a county fair is a fan favorite for many of us. County fairs are a great way to learn more about the community and celebrate Michigan culture with a fun summer tradition – and there’s no shortage of opportunities: there are 86 county fairs in the state. While county fairs can occur during the spring, summer and fall, some of the biggest events occur during the late summer in August. Check out all the fairs in Michigan during July: National Cherry Festival: July 1-8, Traverse City, Mich. The National Cherry Festival takes the week to celebrate the famous Michigan Cherry. This festival features events all week long for the whole family, including an amusement park, contests, a cherry market and more. There also will be performances every night, including famous rapper, Flo Rida. Berlin Fair: July 3-8, Marne, Mich. The Berlin Fair is packed full of fun activities, all to celebrate Michigan’s agriculture. This year’s offerings at the fair are a petting zoo, firefighter show and classic carnival rides. The fair is packed full of excitement, make sure to catch the Rodeo and the Demolition Derby! Elsie Dairy Festival: July 6-8, Elsie, Mich. The Elsie Dairy Festival celebrates the dairy capital of Michigan in tremendous fashion. The festival has a market packed full of vendors and small businesses selling handmade goods and treats. For those who love to compete, there also is a talent show, the Dairy Dash 5k and a 3 on 3 basketball tournament. Oakland County Fair: July 7-16, Davisburg, Mich. The Oakland County Fair has been celebrating community and agriculture since the 1880s. This year the fair will feature numerous animal races including Dogs, Pigs and Horses! The fair also has a traditional carnival style amusement park, line dancing, a rodeo and much more. Gladwin County Fair: July 10-15, Gladwin, Mich. The Gladwin Country Fair was created to celebrate the community and all the products that are unique to Gladwin County. The fair is the perfect place for motorsport lovers, offering tractor pulling classes, go cart racing, mud bog driving and a bump and run derby. If that’s not your speed, the fair also has livestock weigh-in competitions! Eaton County 4-H Fair: July 10-16, Charlotte, Mich. The Eaton County Fair celebrates the animals, livestock, and farming culture unique to Michigan. The fair has traditional carnival events, with many rides the kids will love. To celebrate the animals, there are many events everyone will love, such as a pony riding class and a sheep show. Croswell Agricultural Society Fair: July 12-15, Croswell, Mich. The Croswell Agricultural Society Fair shows appreciation for Michigan’s agricultural past by offering various events that attract people from all over the mitten. The fair celebrates history by featuring an antique tractor show and offers an exciting, high-flying acrobatic show. There also is a petting farm and carnival for a day full of family fun. Menominee County Fair: July 13-16, Stephenson, Mich. The Menominee County Fair gives the local kids a chance to show off their animal skills. The main event is the youth animal exhibition where kids answer questions and demonstrate their skills handling animals. The youth animal exhibition will be accompanied by a 5k race, horseback scavenger hunt, live music, tractor pulls and a craft beer and wine tasting. Ionia Free Fair: July 14-22, Ionia, Mich. The Ionia Free Fair offers the self-proclaimed “10 best days of summer”. The event features carnival rides, classic fair foods and exciting motor events. There also are live music performances from CMA Award winners Lee Brice and Ashley McBryde. Barry County Fair: July 17-22, Hastings, Mich. The Barry Country Fair held at the Barry Expo Center is a week jam-packed with fun while celebrating Michigan agriculture. The event offers an amusement park and livestock for the whole family to enjoy. There are also animal shows, contests and harness racing to celebrate the agriculture of the area. Van Buren Youth Fair: July 17-22, Lawrence, Mich. The Van Buren Youth Fair celebrates youth agriculture by giving them a chance to show off their skills with animals. The fair also features all the traditional fair offerings including, rodeo shows, tractor pulls, a carnival and more! For those who love heights, the fair even has a hot air balloon ride. St. Clair County 4-H & Youth Fair: July 17-22, Goodells, Mich. The St. Clair County Fair celebrates the county agricultural history. The fairgrounds are full of livestock to see including, llamas, alpacas, goats, horses, ponies and more! The fair also has crafts, art, a carnival and for when you need to cool off a little, a splash pad! Arenac County Fair: July 18-22, Standish, Mich. The Arenac County Fair offers family fun and educational experiences. The fair, which has been going for 125 years, is fun for the whole family. It offers, fair food, animals exhibits and an amusement park. There are also exciting shows such as wrestling and a demolition derby. Lenawee County Fair: July 23-29, Adrian, Mich. The Lenawee County Fair is Michigan’s longest running fair, created to celebrate the agriculture and livestock in Michigan. The 184-year-old fair will hold a great mix of exciting events including a battle of the bands, a food eating contest, and rock performances! Tuscola County Fair: July 23-29, Caro, Mich. The Tuscola County Fair celebrate agriculture with a terrific line of events. This year the fair will be home to a carnival, a circus, a reptile exhibition and more. The fair also has a different grandstand event every night, you might want to catch the rodeo or demolition derby after a long day of fair-filled-fun. Muskegon County Fair: July 24-29, Fruitport, Mich. The Muskegon County Fair offers a week full of traditional fair activities. The event, which celebrates the Muskegon County agriculture, has an antique tractor and engine show, a horse show, and more! Ottawa County Fair: July 24-29, Holland, Mich. The Ottawa County Fair’s goal is to bring families together to celebrate agriculture and community. The fair has an offering the whole family will enjoy, including carnival games, rides and animals. There is a lineup of grandstand you won’t want to miss including monster trucks and mud runs! Montmorency County 4-H Fair: July 24-29, Atlanta, Mich. The Montmorency County Fair is full of entertainment for the whole family. The fair features bull riding, bump and run, a truck show, a pageant, a circus, animals and carnival games the entire family will enjoy. Osceola County 4-H/FFA Fair: July 24-29, Evart, Mich. The Osceola County Fair feature animal shows and grandstand events to celebrate the Michigan agricultural youth. The fair allows the youth to show off their animals and agriculture skills. At night, the featured grandstand events include a modern and antique tractor pull, as well as a heavyweight horse pull. Clare County Fair: July 24-29, Harrison, Mich. The Clare County Fair is celebrating their 140th anniversary this year by putting on a fair full of fun events for the whole family. The fair honors Michigan tradition, heritage, and family. This year the fair offers many exciting shows including, trapeze air dogs, a demolition derby and more! Fowlerville Family Fair: July 24-29, Fowlerville, Mich. The Fowlerville Family Fair is the annual celebration of Livingston County and all it has to offer. The fair honors the whole community and even crowns the citizen and homemaker of the year. The fair also features traditional fair and grandstand events making for a week of family fun. Iosco County Fair: July 24-29, Hale, Mich. The Iosco County Fair features the fairgrounds and all they have to offer, providing a week of fun for locals and travelers. The fair features comedy shows, carnival games and rides, food and agriculture activities all to celebrate Michigan. Isabella County Youth & Farm Fair: July 24-29, Mount Pleasant, Mich. The Isabella County Youth and Farm Fair features a week full of events to celebrate Michigan and the local community. For those who want to see animals, the fair features small and large animal shows. For those who like more of a thrill, the grandstand events feature motor cross, rodeos and more. Eastern Michigan State Fair: July 25-29, Imlay City, Mich. The Eastern Michigan State Fair celebrates and educates the Lapeer County community through a week full of fun events. The fair includes nightly and exciting grandstand shows, a petting zoo, and unlimited rides. The historical celebration is guaranteed fun for the whole family. Munger Potato Festival: July 27-30, Munger, Mich. If you love Potatoes, look no further, the Munger Potato Festival is the perfect place for you. This week of potato-packed-events celebrates Munger and all its offerings, plus you might even win a free potato in their daily potato giveaways. The festival has a Potato queen content, derby racing and much more for the whole family to enjoy. Schoolcraft County Fair: July 28-30, Manistique, Mich. The Schoolcraft County Fair celebrates the local community with two days packed full of exciting activities. The fair offers attractions to please the whole family including, bumper cars, a giant slide, zipline, climbing wall, laser tag and a mechanical bull. Gratiot County Fair for Youth: July 29-Aug. 5, Alma, Mich. The Gratiot County Fair plans a week of fun to celebrate the county’s kids! The fair celebrates all the kids have accomplished and all their talents through a week of exhibitions and shows. Monroe County Fair: July 30-Aug. 5, Monroe, Mich. The Monroe County Fair, also called Michigan’s Finest Fair, is a more traditional type of county fair. The fairgrounds are full of traditional fair foods and carnival booths and artisan vendors. There are also many events during the fair that reflect and honor Monroe’s farming community including the rodeo, combine derby and tractor pull. The Monroe County Fair is the perfect place to see how important agriculture is to Michigan. Cass County Fair: July 30-Aug. 5, Cassopolis, Mich. The Cass County Fair celebrates Cass County and all its community members. The week offer many traditional fair events, including carnival rides, comedy shows, derby racing and more. The fair also celebrates local heroes, such as the police force and healthcare workers. Huron Community Fair: July 30-Aug. 5, Bad Axe, Mich. The Huron Community Fair offers “good old-fashioned fun for the whole family”. The weeklong fair is filled with events to celebrate the local community. The events include, animal shows, face painting, carnival rides and much more! Wayne County Fair: July 31-Aug 5, Belleville, Mich. The Wayne County Fair celebrates Wayne County, its agricultural history and the community. The fair offers animals, carnival rides, delicious food and guaranteed fun. It is an event the whole family can enjoy. Ingham County Fair: July 31-Aug. 5, Mason, Mich. The annual Ingham County Fair honors families and the Ingham County community through a week of fun events. The fair offers food, rides and games for the whole family. Throughout the week, there are high energy grandstand events, such as a demolition derby and motocross show you won’t want to miss. Upper Peninsula State Fair: August 14-20, Escanaba, Mich. The Upper Peninsula hosts its own state fair in one of the biggest cities in the Upper Peninsula, Escanaba! The Upper Peninsula State Fair celebrates agriculture and the unique community and culture of the UP. Like many fairs in Michigan, the Upper Peninsula State Fair provides a place where families can see farm animals like horses, sheep, goats, cows and pigs. However, the fair also offers foods native to the UP like pasties and pays homage to the area’s Native American heritage by hosting a Native American celebration. Michigan State Fair: Aug. 31-Sept. 4, Novi, Mich. The Michigan State Fair is a great way to celebrate the state. This festival, located in Novi, honors Michigan’s agricultural traditions in a variety of different ways. In addition to rides, food stands and demonstrations, there are agricultural and livestock competitions. The fair also hosts a beer brewing competition that brings attention to and praises the brewing industry in Michigan. Allegan County Fair: September 8-16, Allegan, Mich. The Allegan County Fair is one of Michigan’s biggest and most popular county fairs. This summer, the Allegan County fair will be the venue for popular artists such as Jimmie Allen, Sam Hunt and Lynyrd Skynyrd. There are rodeo and livestock shows that highlight the importance of animals to Michigan’s farm communities and celebrations of the region’s agricultural roots. Find a full list of Michigan fairs and festivals here. Related:
- 10 Festivals that Celebrate Michigan Food
- 50 Reasons Why Michigan is Foodie Paradise
- 5 Things You Didn’t Know Michigan Grows Better than Most States
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