It’s fair time!
Pelkie event starts today
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PELKIE -- The 86th annual Baraga County Fair begins this morning in Pelkie. The three-day celebration will feature car shows, a color run, live music, an off-road derby, livestock shows and a pony pull.
The Baraga County Fair Board says new and old traditions are returning to the fair this year. "In 2026, we are excited to be reviving a few old Baraga County Fair traditions: a Kick-Off Party featuring live music will be held off-grounds at Church in the Valley in Alston on Friday night," the release said. "The fair board is also bringing back the Ugly Purse tradition by turning it into a raffle that will be drawn on Sunday evening."
The fair started in 1940 as the Baraga County Dairy Day and Farmers Picnic. The name was changed to the Baraga County Fair in 1967. The Michigan State legislature recognized the fair's 50-year anniversary in 1990. The board stated it had a high-turnover rate of its members from last year and faced a unique challenge, dubbing the fair "a tradition worth keeping."
According to the statement, "Most of the new executive board and directors have never been involved in running the fair before. It's been a huge learning curve for everyone, but even though it's a small group, they have been highly motivated to research the ins and outs of festival best practices, bringing our organization up-to-speed with legal requirements and industry standards."
The board said it expects a few hundred people in attendance each day. The Fair Board statement concludes, "The Baraga County Fair is severely understaffed with several Annual Director positions still vacant. This has left the bulk of fair tasks delegated to a couple members. We are proud of our history, traditions, and mission of the Baraga County Fair and the fact that it has been upheld for the past 86 years."
The fair kicked off at 9 a.m. today and runs till 6 p.m. Sunday. Children five and under get free entry to the fair. Tickets and more information can be found at baragacountyfair.org.