The First Upper Peninsula State Fair

🎡 From 50 Cents to a U.P. Tradition:

If there’s one thing the Upper Peninsula knows how to do, it’s throw a fair that celebrates hard work, community pride, and just the right amount of fried food. On September 17, 1928, Escanaba welcomed visitors to the very first Upper Peninsula State Fair. It was a celebration born out of a 1927 law signed by Governor Fred W. Green to promote agriculture and industry in the region. Tickets cost just 50 cents for adults (a bargain even back then) and dropped to 25 cents after 6 p.m. The fair is an event that truly brings people together.

The fairgrounds — still located on the original site — cover 120 acres and include 24 buildings plus nearly 700 campsites. Over the years, the fair has grown to become a showcase of everything U.P. From livestock shows and giant vegetable competitions to the crowd-favorite Great Lakes Timber Show, where lumberjacks wow spectators with logrolling, speed climbing, sawing, and axe-throwing.

Temporary Interruptions to the Fair

Like many large public gatherings, the fair hasn’t always been able to go on as planned. It was paused between 1942 and 1945 during World War II. It was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. In 2010, state funding was cut for both the Upper Peninsula and the downstate Michigan State Fair due to budget troubles. While the downstate fair struggled and was discontinued, the U.P. event powered forward. It is now managed by the Upper Peninsula State Fair Authority with representatives from every U.P. county and the Hannahville Indian Community.

The fair’s resilience is as strong as the community it serves. Attendance has reached record highs — in 2017, over 87,000 people passed through the gates. Today, it remains a summer highlight. The fair draws locals and visitors alike for a week of rides, competitions, music, and mouthwatering fair food.

From its humble beginnings in 1928 to its vibrant presence today, the Upper Peninsula State Fair has stayed true to its roots. It continues to celebrate the best of U.P. life while evolving with the times. Whether you come for the animals, the entertainment, or just the elephant ears, you’re part of a tradition that’s been bringing the community together for nearly a century.

Marisa Fancy along with her husband and four children dreamt of moving “Up North”. They had vacationed for years in northern Michigan and in 1995 they finally made the move.

The family was always out exploring, but with 4 kids there was some limitations on what they could do. Marisa discovered the amazing network of trails in Northern Michigan after Steve died and she would walk for miles. The trails provided her with peace, comfort and solitude at a difficult time in her life. Later, after meeting Guy who would become her second husband, she learned to golf and found another passion she could enjoy in beautiful Northern Michigan.

Marisa has been the family historian, writer, and poet for as long as she can remember. She has always loved to write and has now found a creative outlet for it other than family. You can read her articles in Adventures in Northern Michigan, Northern Michigan History and Golf Up North.