Porch Notes
"The Most Popular Fair on Earth"
History and culture
Every September, the city of Hillsdale hosts a county fair that proudly calls itself “The Most Popular Fair on Earth” — the slogan is painted right across the grandstand. The Hillsdale County Fair has been running since 1851, making it one of the oldest fairs in Michigan, and it’s traditionally the very last fair of the season — the big send-off to summer. In its railroad-era heyday, special trains brought crowds from as far as Indiana and Ohio.
It’s still a genuine county-wide homecoming. The fairgrounds, on Broad Street in town, hold livestock and 4-H barns, harness racing and tractor pulls, a midway, grandstand shows, and — a point of local pride — what’s said to be the oldest Grange hall in the country. For a lot of Hillsdale County families, fair week is the highlight of the year.
The Hillsdale County Fair is held at 115 South Broad Street; you’ll find dates at hillsdalecountyfair.org.