The Michigan State Fair was September 4th-7th in Novi this year. We attended on Sunday the 6th and it was an extremely hot summer day. The temps were in the 90s and the outside area had little shade to alleviate the hot sun. Luckily there was the pavilion for hosting the animals which provided a reprieve from the weather.
The fair parking was reasonable at $5.00 a vehicle. Admission prices offered a variety of options with the lowest fare of $8.00 for adult tickets and $6.00 for children not including rides. You could purchase more exepnsive variations to include rides, the circus or both. The ticket office did accept credit cards for payment so you did not have to carry excessive cash with you.
The fair boasted all of the traditional rides including Teacups, Mini-Coaster and the Ferris Wheel. You could choose to partake in the Dodge RAM Test Drive “off-road” experience for free. There were animal activities too like riding a Pony or an Elephant.
You could play fun fair games to win prizes though I did not convince Garrin to attempt to win me a stuffed animal this time. Though I no longer own a collection of stuffed animals, there is still something special when someone wins one for you. I always think of my Dad playing the games when I was a kid and how much money he must have spent over the years just to try and win a prize for me.
There was a wide variety of food including traditional Hot Dogs, Burgers, Pizza, BBQ, Elephant Ears, Cotton Candy, Ice Cream and Shave Ice. The vendor area was more extensive this year and pretty much anything wanted was available. It was such a hot day, I enjoyed two treats of Shave Ice which are my favorite.
The interior exhibition hall featured livestock including cattle, sheep, goats, rabbit and pigs. Among my favorites were the baby bunnies and piglets. One set of piglets was merely a week old and sleeping in a fur pile– super cute! There were several animal events to watch such as the Dog Agility competition and the Pig Race.
Assorted contests occur through-out the fair schedule. There are agriculture and home art ribbons to be collected for best in class for a variety of farm grown veggies, canned goods or crafts like weaving and quilting. Attendees could participate in a variety food eating contests including traditional pie eating. A “Made In Michigan” vendor section was also available where you could purchase assorted goodies.
We did not attend the circus, however it featured four performance daily and the event was scheduled for approximately an hour & half. Maybe next year, we will check it out as well.
The Michigan State Fair is filled with many fun events and activities to enjoy and especially worth checking out if you like fairs.
