Thousands of people will flood Hillsdale County for the “Most Popular Fair on Earth” from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1. The Fair will not only feature many of the traditional activities, booths, and events that draw thousands of people to the Fairgrounds each year, but it will also spotlight new exhibits.
The final preparations for the 166th Hillsdale County Fair are well underway, according to Fair Director Mark Williams, who recently assumed the position. Williams brought a new team with him–bringing new ideas and new voices to the table.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to work together,” Williams said. “We’re very supportive of each other.”
According to Williams, the biggest change is the layout of the Fair.
“We’re setting up the layout differently so that it flows better,” Williams said.
The Fair will not only feature booths that house traditional farm animals, but also feature a booth with new and exotic animals.
“Our directors care about the livestock a lot,” Williams said, “even though other fairs are moving on.”
A new addition to the Fair will be the centennial farm exhibit, which is dedicated to the history of the Fair and the centennial farms of Hillsdale County.
The Fair is also sponsoring a Battle of the Bands event for the first time, to be held on Sept. 25. This new event will accompany the traditional country concert, which will feature Justin Moore on Sept. 28.
“The Fair has many different aspects,” Williams said, “We want to continue to make a nice event out of all of them.”
According to Williams, Hillsdale’s County Fair’s claim to fame as the “Most Popular Fair on Earth” is supported by the wide variety of exhibits and events it is home to.
“We claimed it first and nobody disputed it,” Williams said.
