NOVI (WWJ) -- After a year of virtual fun - it's back to the real big top at the Michigan State Fair today.
The fair canceled in-person events in 2020 due concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, and because the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi had been transformed into a makeshift hospital for overflow patients.
McKenzie Bowman with the Suburban Collection Showplace tells WWJ’s Mike Campbell that this year, Shriner’s Circus is back in the Big Tent, the ferris wheel is spinning, and the racing pigs are ready to run!
As far as attendance, Bowman says that pre-sold ticket sales have almost doubled what they were in 2019 on average. That year, attendance was at about 175,000 people.
“We’re hoping that’s an indication of the crowds that are going to come out,” she said.
Peak attendance for the State Fair when it was held at 8 Mile and Woodward — where it ran from 1849 to 2009 — was about two million fair goers.
The State Fair is implementing some safety precautions in response to the recent rise of the Delta variant, including a mask requirement for those who are not vaccinated.
“The safety of our customers, participants, and team members is always the highest priority to us and we stand ready to abide by all government policies, health organization recommendations, and necessary protective measures that are in place at that time,” a statement reads on the fair’s website.
The Michigan State Fair opens at 11 a.m. on Thursday and runs through Labor Day.
Find out more information and ticket info at michiganstatefairllc.com.
Related
