U.P. State Fair About to Lose Its State Funding

After being held every year since 1928, 2009 may be the end of the line for the U.P. State Fair.

Word is coming out that after this summer, its funding from the state is going to be pulled.

That could make it cease to exist.

The Detroit News learned over the weekend that Governor Jennifer Granholm is going to announce tomorrow during her State of the State address a plan to eliminate state funding for fairs.

That means the much older, and much larger, Detroit State Fair is also having its funding pulled and will likely also cease to exist.

The U.P. State Fair might be able to continue with a new funding source.

The fair board is trying to work with the state to turn the fairgrounds in Escanaba over to the community.

Fair manager Scott Staelgraeve has made some changes that are intended to help the fairgrounds support itself.

Among other things, the governor is also expected to call for 10 of the 16 departments of Michigan’s state government to be stomped into extinction.

Furthermore, she’s expected to propose cutting elected officials’ salaries, including her own, by 10%.