UP State Fair returns Monday with new attractions, familiar favorites
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ESCANABA -- For one week each summer, the Upper Peninsula State Fair brings agriculture, entertainment and community together in Escanaba.
That tradition continues Monday through Sunday, Aug. 23, as thousands of visitors are expected to pass through the fairgrounds for a celebration highlighting America's 250th birthday.
While many fan favorites and familiar exhibits will return to the site, new performers will also take the stage, offering fairgoers fresh entertainment alongside historic traditions.
Daily entertainment will include the Skerbeck Entertainment Group Midway, featuring dozens of family-friendly and thrill-inducing rides; cheese sculptor Nancy Baker; Antique Village; Whispering Pines Petting Zoo; the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Pocket Park; sand sculpting by the Art Club, known for their local Bigfoot statues; Miracle of Life exhibit; Growing UP Foresters; Dominguez Royal Legacy Circus; bingo tent; red, white and brew beer tent; art in the Ruth Butler Building; and world-record-holding toys from Bay College.
Every day except Monday, doves will be released outside the poultry barn at 3 p.m.
This year, the new "donkey cart people mover" will provide transportation to guests of all ages between key areas of the grounds. Gold cart shuttles will also be available along the route.
Parking is free, though donations to volunteers with the Knights of Columbus are welcome. Daily and weekly admission tickets are available online at upstatefair.net and at the gate.
For those interested in going on the rides supplied by Skerbeck Entertainment Group, wristbands -- which cover all but one ride -- and individual tickets are sold from a booth on the grounds and online.
The U.P. State Fair got its start in 1928, when it was held in mid-September. In its nearly 100-year history, the fair has only been cancelled due to three major events -- World War II, the polio epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tagline for the 2026 fair is "United in Fun," celebrating America's 250th birthday this year. As in previous years, each day of the fair features a different theme, bringing a unique experience to the festivities.
For a full schedule go to U.P. State Fair website, https://www.upstatefair.net/.