Biggest County Fairs in Michigan

07.05.2025 | 6 min read

County fairs are synonymous with Michigan summers. They are a great way to learn more about the community you're in and celebrate that area's specific culture through vendors, food, entertainment and much more.

The biggest fairs in Michigan typically sprout up in August, toward the end of the summer, making now a perfect time to get your ducks in a row if you want to frequent some county fairs in your area.

Here is information on 15 of the biggest county fairs in Michigan in 2025:

Ionia Free Fair — July 10-19 in Ionia: 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.

Oakland County Fair — July 11-20 in Davisburg: The Oakland County Fair has been celebrating community and agriculture since the 1880s. This year the fair will feature the "Miracle of the Birth Barn" live animal birth attraction, the "Show-Me-Safari" petting zoo, the Wheels of Agriculture game show, the Sea Lion Splash and much, much more.

Gratiot County Fair for Youth — July 12-19 in Alma: 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.

Ottawa County Fair — July 13-20 in Holland: 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!

Barry County Fair — July 14-19 in Hastings: 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.

Menominee County Fair — July 17-20 in Stephenson: 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.

Muskegon County Fair — July 19-26 in Fruitport: 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!

Lenawee County Fair — July 20-26 in Adrian: The Lenawee County Fair is Michigan’s longest running fair, created to celebrate the agriculture and livestock in Michigan. The 186-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 20-26 in Caro: 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.

Fowlerville Family Fair — July 21-26 in Fowlerville: 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.

Isabella County Youth & Farm Fair — July 21-26 in Mount Pleasant: 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.

Osceola County 4-H/FFA Fair — July 26-Aug. 2 in Evart: 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.

Monroe County Fair — July 27-Aug. 2 in Monroe: 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 27-Aug. 2 in Cassopolis: 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 27-Aug. 2 in Bad Axe: 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!

Ingham County Fair — July 31-Aug. 5 in Mason: 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.

Wayne County Fair — Aug. 4-10 in Belleville: 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.

Upper Peninsula State Fair — Aug. 11-17 in Escanaba: The UP hosts its own state fair in one of its biggest cities; Escanaba! The Upper Peninsula State Fair celebrates agriculture and the unique community and culture of the UP. Like many fairs in Michigan, the UP 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. 28-Sept. 1 in Novi: 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 — Sept. 5-13 in Allegan: The Allegan County Fair is one of Michigan’s biggest and most popular county fairs. 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.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Biggest County Fairs in Michigan

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