U.P State Fair acts announced
The 2012 U.P. State Fair will begin in a week. This year, the lineup includes motorsports events and three national touring musical acts.
Motorsports have always been a great tradition at the fairgrounds, and with four very different motorsports events, spectators have a wide variety of choices to fill their need for speed.
On Opening Night, Monday, August 13th, the U.P. Garden Tractor Pulls will roar to action at 7 PM. This local non-profit organization gives tractor owners a place to test their machines, and gives their proceeds for the year to several scholarship funds. With several classes to enter, including several modified classes with motorcycle or ATV engines, and the Super Outlaw class where tractors are outfitted with 4-cylinder car or truck engines. These tractors mean business!
If you’re a fan of more extreme sports and high-flying action, the Scott Murray Sick Air Extreme Motorcycle Show on Tuesday, August 14th at 7 PM is for you. Local favorite Scott Murray brings his band of professional freestyle motocross athletes with him to the arena to perform the biggest tricks in the business, including the double backflip Murray is famous for.
After three nights of great music, the roar of the engines returns to the grandstand on Saturday night, August 18th, at 7 PM for the Upper Peninsula International Raceway’s third annual fair race. This volunteer group has been hard at work for three summers, determined to return racing to the fairgrounds, and they put on some high-quality, fast-paced dirt track action. Their 2012 racing divisions include IMCA modifieds, street stocks, small cars (4 and 6 cylinder engines), 600 and 650 micro sprints, and kids’ micro sprints to keep the action exciting all evening.
Finally, the fair wraps up on Sunday with the traditional Demolition Derby at 1 PM, as these banged-up beasts battle to outlast the competition in the family favorite smash-up derby. This event is hosted by U.P.I.R. volunteers, and the money raised will be used to help fund future track development at the fairgrounds.
If you’re more of a music lover, this year’s lineup gives a great opportunity to enjoy two fast-rising country music groups and one classic 80’s hair band. The Eli Young Band takes the stage on Wednesday, August 15th at 8 PM. This four-piece group from Denton, Texas is best known for their singles “Crazy Girl,” the band’s first #1 single and first certified gold-selling digital single and follow up single “Even if it Breaks Your Heart”. The group has been noticed by critics several times, having been nominated for both the Academy of Country Music top new vocal group and the 45th ACM Awards Top New Vocal Group in 2010. In 2012, the group received three nominations from the Academy of Country Music : Song of the Year, Top Vocal Group of the Year, and Single Record of the Year, and won in April for Song of the Year for “Crazy Girl.”
Thursday night country duo Thompson Square takes the stage at 8 PM. This husband and wife team is known for their singles, “Let’s Fight,” “I Got You,” “Glass,” and their number 1 hit, “Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not?”, which won three awards in 2011 from the American Country Awards for Best Single by a Duo/Group, Best Single by a Breakthrough Artist and Best Music Video from a New Artist. In 2012, they have already been honored as the Top Vocal Duo by the Academy of Country Music Awards and won the CMT Music Awards’ Duo Video of the Year for their Sonny and Cher impersonations in “I Got You.”
For those looking to relive the rockin’ 80’s hair band years, the U.P. State Fair is delivering for the second year in a row. Tesla takes over the grandstand on Friday, August 17th at 8 PM as part of their 2012 ‘Twisted Wires Acoustic Tour’. Known for hits like the classic power ballad “Love Song,” their remake of the Five Man Electrical Band’s ’71 hit “Signs”, and “Modern Day Cowboy,” the band released their latest acoustic album “Twisted Wires and the Acoustic Sessions” in 2011.
For all three musical acts, Gold Circle Reserved Seating is available for $10, plus service fee, at www.islandresortandcasino.com. All events are free with paid general admission to the fair, making your paid fair admission more value for the money! For more information on this year’s 2012 U.P. State Fair, please visit www.upstatefair.org.