(WWJ) You won't be able to buy an elephant ear at this year's Michigan State Fair, but maybe you could make one to enjoy while you check things out online.
It's been announced that the 2020 Michigan State Fair, originally scheduled to be held on September 3 though 7, will be transitioning to a virtual platform.
The virtual fair will be a free online event campaign that will include hourly social media posts with interactive contests and activities, live demonstrations and performances, historical and educational features, and more.
In a statement, organizers say the 2020 virtual Michigan State Fair aims to creatively capture the essence of a traditional fair through a new medium.
“After a long period of deliberation and much consideration, given the current environment and the upmost concern for the safety of our team members, participants, and community, we felt that for this year, it would be better to not host a traditional fair with activations on site at the Suburban Collection Showplace, particularly considering that the facility is still under agreement with the state as an alternate care facility,” said Blair Bowman, Manager of the Michigan State Fair.
“We believe we can provide a very unique and engaging experience virtually and we expect that some of the features we develop this year can be implemented in future years as we continue to build upon the everlasting and evolving tradition of the Michigan State Fair.”
For the 2020 event, the Michigan State Fair has selected four community causes to which they will be directly making donations. The fair has made an expanded commitment of $50,000 to urban and rural youth scholarships, compared to the $40,000 awarded in 2019. Additional donations have also been committed to the Oakland Avenue Farm in Detroit, Shriners Hospitals for Children, and Military Families United. Through this new virtual effort, the Michigan State Fair is asking the viewers and participants to donate and aid the fair in the support of community partners.
The 4-H portion of the fair will include a virtual showcase where kids across Michigan will show off their work and apply for a variety of scholarships. Any Michigan youth ages 5-19 is encouraged to participate; 4-H membership is not required. The Michigan State Fair has committed an additional $10,000 for this program’s participant winners.
More details will be released as the online event draws near. For updates, follow the Michigan State Fair on Facebook at this link.