- Michigan State Fair
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The Michigan State Fair was an historic event held by the state.
History
The first official Michigan State Fair was held in 1849, which is claimed by the state of Michigan to be the oldest state fair in the United States. The first fair was held in Detroit, Michigan. Subsequent fairs were held in other cities until it received its permanent home in 1905 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit.
In 1904, Joseph L. Hudson, together with three of his associates, decided to give the State Fair its permanent home. They formed the State Fair Land Company, which acquired 135 acres (0.55 km2) between 7½ and 8 Mile Roads, east of Woodward Avenue. Because Hudson had no interest in running the fair, he sold the land to the Michigan State Agricultural Society for one dollar on April 18, 1905. The Agricultural Society accepted the land then purchased an additional 32 acres (130,000 m2), extending the fairgrounds to 167 acres (0.68 km2). Throughout the following years, additional land was purchased and sold. The present size of the fairgrounds is 164 acres (0.66 km2).
Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum, also known as the Hockeytown State Fair Coliseum, is a 5,600-seat multi-purpose arena located on the fairgrounds. Two NASCAR races were held at a one-mile track at the fairgrounds. Tommy Thompson won the 1951 event and Tim Flock won in 1952.[1]
On October 30, 2009, Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm cut all funding to the Michigan State fair.[2][3] Attendance peaked at 1.2 million in 1966. In 2009 the fair attracted 217,000 visitors.[4] The state fair was not held in 2010 & 2011.[5]
See also
References
Parks in metropolitan Detroit Detroit city Belle Isle • Campau Park • Campus Martius • Chandler Park • Clark Park • Central Park • Dequindre Cut • International Riverfront • Engel Memorial Park • Ford Park • Fort Wayne • Gabriel Richard Park • Grand Circus • Layfayette Park • New Center Park • Owen Park • Palmer Park • Patton Park • Reid Memorial Park • State Fairgrounds • Three Mile Drive Park • Roosevelt Park
Metro
600 to 1,500 acres (243 to 607 ha)Addison Oaks • Algonac State Park • Belle Isle • Camp Dearborn • Crosswinds Marsh • Hayes State Park (Irish Hills) • Independence Oaks • Lower Huron • Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area • Metro Beach Metropark • River Rouge Park • Sterling State Park1,500 to 5,000 acres (607 to 2,023 ha) Bald Mountain • Brighton Recreation Area •
Hines Drive • Hudson Mills • Huron Meadows • Indian Springs • Kensington • Lake Erie Metropark • Pontiac Lake Recreation Area • Oakwoods • Pointe Mouillee State Game Area • Stony Creek Metropark • Wolcott Mill • Willowover 5,000 acres (2,023 ha) Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge • Highland Recreation Area • Ortonville Recreation Area • Waterloo State Recreation AreaWaterways Major beaches Belle Isle • Kensington • Lakeside Beach and Park • Lighthouse Beach and Park • Metro Beach • Stony CreekTrails
5 to 36 miles (8 to 58 km)Bald Mountain • Detroit River Walk / Dequindre Cut • Highland Recreation Lakes • Kensington • Lakelands Trail State Park • Maybury State Park • Novi North Park • Paint Creek Trail • Poly Ann Trail • Pontiac Lake Recreation Area • Stony Creek Inwood Trails • Waterloo-Pinckney TrailZoological and botanical See also Tourism in metropolitan Detroit and Huron-Clinton Metroparks
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MunicipalitiesAlpena · Ann Arbor · Battle Creek · Bay City · Bloomfield Township · Canton Township · Chesterfield Township · Clinton Township · Commerce Township · Dearborn · Dearborn Heights · Detroit · East Lansing · Eastpointe · Farmington Hills · Flint · Flint Township · Georgetown Township · Grand Rapids · Holland · Jackson · Kalamazoo · Kentwood · Lansing · Lincoln Park · Livonia · Macomb Township · Meridian Township · Midland · Muskegon · Novi · Pontiac · Portage · Redford · Rochester Hills · Roseville · Royal Oak · Saginaw · Saginaw Township · St. Clair Shores · Shelby Township · Southfield · Sterling Heights · Taylor · Troy · Warren · Waterford Township · West Bloomfield · Westland · Wyoming · Ypsilanti Township
Counties Alcona · Alger · Allegan · Alpena · Antrim · Arenac · Baraga · Barry · Bay · Benzie · Berrien · Branch · Calhoun · Cass · Charlevoix · Cheboygan · Chippewa · Clare · Clinton · Crawford · Delta · Dickinson · Eaton · Emmet · Genesee · Gladwin · Gogebic · Grand Traverse · Gratiot · Hillsdale · Houghton · Huron · Ingham · Ionia · Iosco · Iron · Isabella · Jackson · Kalamazoo · Kalkaska · Kent · Keweenaw · Lake · Lapeer · Leelanau · Lenawee · Livingston · Luce · Mackinac · Macomb · Manistee · Marquette · Mason · Mecosta · Menominee · Midland · Missaukee · Monroe · Montcalm · Montmorency · Muskegon · Newaygo · Oakland · Oceana · Ogemaw · Ontonagon · Osceola · Oscoda · Otsego · Ottawa · Presque Isle · Roscommon · Saginaw · Sanilac · Schoolcraft · Shiawassee · St. Clair · St. Joseph · Tuscola · Van Buren · Washtenaw · Wayne · Wexford
Categories:- History of Detroit, Michigan
- State fairs
- Michigan culture
- NASCAR tracks
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