ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Preparations are underway for the 2026 U.P. State Fair, which runs from August 17 through August 23.
“This is really an exciting time,” said Vickie Micheau, Executive Director of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, which serves as the fair’s managing agency. “We’ve been working for the last year to make sure that fairgoers have a lot of things to do and see, a lot of great food to eat, a lot of great entertainment in the Grandstand, and a lot of activity in our livestock barns.”
This year’s fair includes themed days like Chewsday Tuesday, when fairgoers can try select food items at reduced prices. Wednesday is Senior Citizens Day, sponsored by the Community Action Agency. Honored Citizens Day will be on Thursday, with highlights including the U.P. Veteran of the Year ceremony and a ticketed luncheon with Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist. The Island Resort & Casino will offer self-care and wellness activities on Friday. Saturday’s events will be focused on agriculture, and the week will wrap up with Family Day on Sunday.
In addition to Grandstand Acts like Daughtry and Phil Vassar, the fairgrounds will be filled with entertainment of all kinds for all ages.
“Our goal is to make sure there’s a lot of free entertainment that people can take advantage of,” Micheau said. “Right now, we’re in the middle of setting up our vendors, setting up our tents, and just making sure that when people get through the gates, they just go, ‘Yeah, this is the U.P. State Fair that we’ve been waiting a year for,’ and they leave here just feeling great about the whole experience.”
The gates officially open at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, but the fun starts even earlier. There will be a junior horse show at 9:00 a.m., followed by the crowning of the U.P. State Fair queen, princess, and jr. princess at noon. The U.P. State Fair Royal Court ceremony is sponsored by WZMQ 19 News, and our own Lily Simmons will act as the event’s emcee.
Lily Simmons will also have live reports from the fairgrounds Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Central, so stay tuned to WZMQ 19 News for your U.P. State Fair coverage. For more details on this year’s fair, visit upstatefair.net.
