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New vendors, big crowds at 2026 Dickinson fair

By JIM ANDERSON, News Editor 4 min read

IRON MOUNTAIN -- No numbers were offered, but Dickinson County officials on Monday summarized the 2026 county fair as boasting high attendance, including possibly the highest turnout ever Saturday, Sept. 5.

"I've never seen as many cars as on Saturday night," Sheriff Aaron Rochon told the county board, adding the fair "kept us busy" without major incidents.

"We overflowed the overflow," County Board Chairman Dan Harrington said of the parking Sept. 5. A demolition derby was the grandstand attraction at the Norway fairgrounds that night.

Harrington, a fair board member, described the fair as "pretty much a record" based on preliminary numbers.

In 2024, a reported 68,000 people came through the gates during the five-day Labor Day weekend event, up from a previous high of 60,000 in 2022, according to fair officials. The 2025 fair had been reported as "a little bit above-average" by Fair Board Chairman Chuck Parker.

This year's event featured 12 new vendors, a 17% increase that proved popular, Harrington said.

One longtime food vendor, however, was unhappy with how the fair was supervised, claiming an individual fair board member raised rates inappropriately and was unprofessional.

"It was just a sad week," said a representative of Mickey's, who did not give her full name when addressing the board.

Harrington said his understanding was the fair board had moved to a per-foot rate for vendors. "We just made the playing field even," he said.

In another matter, the county board plans to again reduce the size of the fair board.

The current makeup is 11 members, and that will go to 10 when seats held by Parker, John Gunville and Cameron O'Connor expire at the end of the year. Only two appointments or reappointments will be made at that time.

Commissioner Joe Stevens questioned whether the fair board is in agreement, just as he did in November when the county board moved to reduce the size from 13 to 11.

"That was decided a long time ago," Harrington said, adding the reductions are "a little at a time."

During citizens' time, Jennifer Cooper of Breitung Township claimed the county is violating the bylaws of the fair board, which prompted Stevens to say he'd "like a ruling" on whether that's correct.

As recently as early 2023 the fair board had 11 members, including one county commissioner. The county board then added a second county board representative, and another appointee. Stevens is the only current commissioner who was on that county board.

Commissioner Victoria Jakel has served with Harrington on the fair board since 2025 and Harrington has indicated the county board might move next year to reduce its fair board representation to one.

In other action, the county board:

-- Approved a notice of intent for the Dickinson County E911 Center to serve as the primary Public Safety Answering Point for Gogebic County, effective Oct. 1. The Negaunee Regional Communications Center of Michigan State Police currently handles emergency 911 calls for Gogebic County, but a switch to a Dickinson County contract was approved earlier this year. The county board's action is a last step in the transition, Rochon said.

-- Will meet Oct. 19 with department heads, the Dickinson-Iron Community Services Agency and representatives of senior centers to discuss 2027 budget requests.

-- Reappointed Dr. Martin Cristanelli as the county's medical examiner. Cristanelli also serves as medical examiner for several other U.P. counties, directing the county's autopsy service based at Ford Airport.

-- Heard Controller Brian Bousley report the county will work to update its five-year recreation plan before the end of the year, with a public survey to launch this fall.

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Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.

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