Residents and travelers found “Stars, Stripes, and Fair Delights” at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds beginning last weekend.
The 172nd Hillsdale County Fair began Sunday Sept. 25, and will continue until Saturday Oct. 1. The fair offers rides, private vendors, 4-H competitions, and events.
“We are the largest event held annually in the county, so there is a tremendous economic impact in terms of the people coming into the county,” Fair Secretary and Manager Lori Hull said.
According to Hull, the fair is hosting 175 vendors and expects more than 75,000 people to visit by the end of the week, despite overcast weather.
The fair hosts multiple events and competitions, such as the International Demolition Derby and the Truck and Tractor Pull competitions.
Horses named Pistol and Rowdy set a new Michigan record in the Hillsdale National Heavyweight Championship, according to Facebook. The horses pulled a tow truck that weighed 5,050 pounds more than 28 feet
Joe and Janet Brown said they have been coming from Ohio to visit the fair since 1962.
“We’ve been coming for years and years,” Janet said. “I’ve been coming here even before I was married.”
The couple, who will soon celebrate their 57th wedding anniversary, said their favorite attraction at the fair is Steve’s Barbecue.
“They have the best brisket, roasted turkey legs, and baked beans,” Janet Brown said. “We wait all year to go there.”
The Browns also came to see their 9-year-old nephew show his sheep competitively.
“It was his first year doing it, and he won first place in showmanship,” Joe Brown said.
The Browns said they noticed fewer people at this year’s fair compared to last year.
Hillsdale resident and Country Junctions vendor Kay Aube agreed that the fair seemed slower this year due to the weather.
“Things have been slow,” Aube said. “Fewer people means fewer sales.”
Aube has been selling her handmade home goods and decorative items at the fair for 12 years.
“I closed my shop three years ago, and now I’m based from my home,” Aube said. “My handmade soy wax candles are definitely my most popular items, so hopefully the weekend will be busier.”
Hillsdale-based McElroy Farms brought a booth to the fair, where they offer raffle tickets for the chance to win a freezer full of grass-fed beef.
“This is our first time ever here, so we just wanted to see how it goes,” Audrey VanDeusen said on Wednesday. “It definitely has been slower overall than I was expecting, but today’s actually been better.”
VanDeusen, who oversees marketing for McElroy Farms, said they sell grass-fed beef and lamb online and at the Hillsdale Farmer’s Market.
Lisa Selph, Karissa Shay, and Kayla Galloway decided to sell their woven and crocheted goods together at a shared booth. They all agreed business has been good for them.
“I haven’t stopped working this entire week,” Shay said.
All three work from home and sell their goods online.
“We are local, and we make everything by hand, including the yarn,” Selph said. “I’ve been doing this for over 40 years, but this is only our second year at the fair.”
While Shay specializes in knitting and Galloway in crafting macrame items, Selph weaves and knits her goods from wool sourced at fiber fairs throughout the state, as well as from alpaca wool she gets from her neighbor’s farm near Reading, Michigan.
Selph showcased her spinning wheel at the booth, while Shay and Galloway knit and crafted macrame in between selling their wares.
“I help process the wool straight from the sheering, to washing, scouring, and carding it, to combing and spinning it,” Selph said.
Selph, who also sells handmade jewelry and offers her goods at local fairs and the Reading Farmer’s Market, said she expected business at the Hillsdale County Fair to be even better over the upcoming weekend.
“I think we’re the only ones selling handmade knit items, so I think we have a niche,” Selph said.
Hull said she expects a greater surge of people to visit the fair during its final days.
“A lot of people will come,” Hull said. “Hopefully they see Hillsdale and want to come back another time.”