Michigan State Fair Ending Today
Written by djnuttall on September 7, 2009 – 3:21 pm -Michigan State Fair ending today and possibly for good. The Michigan State Fair has survived 161 years of tradition here in the State of Michigan. Michigan’s Governor Jennifer Granholm faced with stiff budget cuts has brought her axe down on the Michigan State Fair. The Michigan State Fair is the oldest in the nation and now will just be a part of history. Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced last month that, faced with a $1.8 billion budget deficit, the state would be cutting all fair funding after Sept. 30.
Michigan State Fair ending today does not necessarily mean that it is gone for good. There is still hopes that the private sector can resurrect some type of assistance in keeping this tradition alive. With so many cuts going on in Michigan it seems there could be a way to salvage the fair. The state has not funded the fair for years. There has been a line item in the budget that allowed the state to pick up its losses. Last year, it lost $360,000. Planning for next year’s fair is on hold until word comes down from Lansing.
Most state fairs through out the country are seeing a growth in their number of attendance. With Michigan State Fair it is mostly funded from the private sector. Unfortunately the private business sector is suffering the same economic woe as the government. This has materialized in less supporters for the Michigan State Fair. This is only shows how bad Michigan’s economy is and how bad things can get. This is a sad loss for Michigan’s agricultural community and the citizens of Michigan.
This year, the fair heavily promoted Michigan’s $64 billion agriculture industry and the increased popularity of urban gardening. Planted seven weeks ago on fairgrounds land, the garden has yielded 300 pounds of food. Also, experience the slice of heaven called the Outdoor Skills Center, which includes labeled flora and a man-made lake shaped like Michigan, inhabited by 6,000 bluegills.
The Michigan State Fair ending today, Labor Day. How Ironic the closing of the state fair on the day that we honor our work force. The Michigan State Fair will no longer be honoring Michigan’s agricultural segment on Labor Day.
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