Proposed State Fair in Novi

**D_Town** · May-22-12, 08:11 PM

Businessman proposes reviving State Fair in Novi

Novi —Three years after budget woes forced its closure, a Novi businessman is planning to revive the Michigan State Fair.
Blair Bowman, owner of the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, presented a plan to the City Council on Monday for a fair at the expo center over Labor Day weekend. He said he would donate the facility and its resources.
"We believe strongly that this is something the state desperately should have and needs," Bowman said.
Billed as the Great Lakes State Fair, Bowman said it will include indoor livestock exhibits, entertainment, education stations and product displays and outdoor rides, beer garden and entertainment stages. There will also be a Shrine Circus.
"I think it's something that has great potential," said Novi Mayor Bob Gatt at the council meeting. "This is a state that should have a state fair. Whether it's privately funded, like this endeavor is going to be, or state sponsored, we should have a state fair."

Blair is working with the Great Lakes Agricultural Fair, a nonprofit organization formed last year to revive the State Fair. The group's proposal for an agriculture fair at the Pontiac Silverdome last year fell through.
"There was a lot of really good effort to make it work at the Silverdome but for various reasons it just wasn't really going to work," said Kent C Roberts, vice chair of the organization.
He said he has confidence Bowman will produce a good event.
"We realize that this is going to grow and develop so we don't expect the first year to be completely lights-out," he said, "but it's going to be a glimpse of what could be and we think we can be successful."
Last week, the State of Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority said it would seek proposals for the development of the 160-acre former Michigan State Fairgrounds near Eight Mile and Woodward Avenue. The fair was held at the Detroit location from 1905 to 2009, when Gov. Jennifer Granholm ended state financing with the Legislature's approval because she said the state could no longer absorb the fair's losses.
The first Michigan State Fair was held Sept. 25-27, 1849, on field on "Pontiac Road" just north of Grand Circus Park, according to Detroit News archives. The fair was held the following year in Ann Arbor and returned to Detroit the following year after a drop in attendance. It was held in a few other Michigan cities before settling in to the Woodward and Eight Mile Road site.
The proposed revived fair is scheduled for Aug. 31 through Sept. 3. Bowman said ticket prices for unlimited access to the fair, circus and midway will be $25 in advance or $28-$30 at the gate. To visit the fair alone, it will cost $8 for adults and $5 for children. Parking will be available on sight for $5 and in surrounding lots.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz1vePqztPw

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/M...z/-/index.html

**Pam** · May-22-12, 08:44 PM

Part of the appeal of the old fair was the old fairgrounds. I wouldn't be interested in going to it in Novi. I still don't understand how they can develop anything on the old site when it is supposed to be a historic site.

**dtowncitylover** · May-22-12, 10:51 PM

I would prefer it to be at the fair grounds at 8 and Woodward or somewhere outstate in a rural setting. It would be so bland if it were at the Suburban Collection Showplace.

**trotwood** · May-23-12, 08:13 AM

I agree with Pam&Dtowncitylover. The biggest draw of the fair,to me,was it's location. Without the fairgrounds this new 'state fair' seems nothing more than a large county fair. I applaud Mr.Bowman's effort but I'm not interested in this new fair.

**Pam** · May-23-12, 09:05 AM

Novi already has this place that has several mini-fairs per year:

http://tollgate.msu.edu/tollgate/public_events

**iheartthed** · May-23-12, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by Pam

Part of the appeal of the old fair was the old fairgrounds. I wouldn't be interested in going to it in Novi. I still don't understand how they can develop anything on the old site when it is supposed to be a historic site.

Yeah, if you remove the historic element from it then the state fair was just a big carnival, and Metro Detroit has no shortage of those throughout the summer. Not sure why Michigan "needs" a State Fair if it didn't need the fairgrounds.

**poobert** · May-23-12, 10:09 AM

Novi. Seriously. Fucking Novi.

There are some seriously charming suburbs in Metro Detroit - let me be absolutely clear, and I don't care if you scream at me or ban me or whatever: Novi is not one of them. I couldn't imagine a place with less charm if I tried. I'm going to go even further and say that the people I know from Novi are stepford assholes. I know [[probably) not everyone from Novi is vapid and dysfunctional, hiding their dark secrets behind a paper mache shitbox mega mansion, but the people I know are. Of course only a guy from Novi would want the State Fair in - Novi! And not understand the appeal of a historic fairgrounds.

It's fine if it's not in Detroit. Please, just not Novi. Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, Flint, Bay City, Hell, Kalamazoo, wherever, just stop pouring resources into the sprawlburbs.

**Novine** · May-23-12, 10:15 PM

Don't worry, no one is forcing you to come to Novi. As far as the location, my preference would be to have the State Fair at the old Fairgrounds. But since the state is intent on selling that property off and no one from the state or the private sector has stepped up to offer an alternative location, I don't understand why your criticizing someone from Novi for stepping forward and offering to host the Fair. Last I checked, there haven't been any offers from Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, Flint, Bay City, Hell, or Kalamazoo to host the fair.

**rb336** · May-24-12, 04:39 AM

Sorry, this is a pathetic joke. Who wants to go to a fair in a parking lot? I agree that Novi is almost completely devoid of charm, an upscale Troy. This just seems so typical of Oakland County self-promotion - utterly clueless about what makes something real

**Novine** · May-24-12, 06:00 AM

I didn't see anyone else stepping up to offer an alternative location. No one in Novi has any delusions that this location is the equivalent of the state fair grounds. But no one has stepped forward to host the fair at no cost to the fair organizers either.

**poobert** · May-24-12, 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

I didn't see anyone else stepping up to offer an alternative location. No one in Novi has any delusions that this location is the equivalent of the state fair grounds. But no one has stepped forward to host the fair at no cost to the fair organizers either.

Just because this guy lives in Novi doesn't mean he has to have the fair in the same idiotic location. If I was a businessman who lived on Beaver Island, Roseville, or Copper Harbor that doesn't mean I must have the fair in the same ill-suited place.

What you're basically saying is that we either have to host the fair ourselves as individuals in a logical location or acquiesce to any nonsensical idea somebody with money comes along with. Why bother with the fair, then?

**Pam** · May-24-12, 07:17 AM

Just wanted to add, I've got nothing against this guy or the city of Novi.
We should be directing our anger at the people who killed the fair and sold the fairgrounds.

**kenp** · May-24-12, 07:23 AM

If not Detroit put it in a more rural setting, something like Holly where they have the Ren Festival. Its still close to Detroit and has the infrastructure.

**RO_Resident** · May-24-12, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

Just because this guy lives in Novi doesn't mean he has to have the fair in the same idiotic location. If I was a businessman who lived on Beaver Island, Roseville, or Copper Harbor that doesn't mean I must have the fair in the same ill-suited place.

What you're basically saying is that we either have to host the fair ourselves as individuals in a logical location or acquiesce to any nonsensical idea somebody with money comes along with. Why bother with the fair, then?

How about Escanaba?
http://www.upstatefair.org/

**MizMotown** · May-24-12, 11:06 AM

This is all a bunch of crap. The Silverdome tried to do this last year and it failed. Novi is proposing a big carnival with a animal expo just like the Silverdome did. They would probably bring some folks out using "State Fair" to hype it up. It took over 150 years to build a state fair. And usually there alot of politics involved. Not saying it can't be done but it's definitely not going to happen in 3 month. It takes cooperation from the state, cities, counties, agriculture, commodities, farmers, cattle/pig/sheep/horse producers, etc.. and MUCH more including lots of $$$$ to put on a real "state fair." This unraveling contributed to the downfall of the state fair we had, basically $$, lack of capitol improvement, and a lack of competent management.

**Novine** · May-24-12, 01:41 PM

"What you're basically saying is that we either have to host the fair ourselves as individuals in a logical location or acquiesce to any nonsensical idea somebody with money comes along with. Why bother with the fair, then?"

No, I'm saying that there's a limited number of locations that can support an event the size of the State Fair. You need a lot of indoor space to locate the animal exhibits and related activities, you need outdoor space and you need lots of parking. Know any locations that are willing and able to provide all that? Any of those that are offering their space for low or no-cost since the groups that are working on this aren't exactly flush with cash?

**jt1** · May-24-12, 01:49 PM

What will be unfortunate is that the state will decide to resume allocating funding to the State Fair once it is in Novi.

**D_Town** · May-24-12, 02:40 PM

Wasn't there talk about having a location to put the State Fair somewhere on the riverwalk at one point?

**redvetred** · May-24-12, 03:32 PM

Many years ago there were plans to move the Michigan State Fair to East Lansing to highlight MSU's agricultural program. East Lansing is more centrally located for a state-wide fair which could highlight agriculture, horticulture and animals. Novi has more room than the Silverdome and just might work and there is plenty of parking and space for amusements and rides.

**jt1** · May-24-12, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by redvetred

Many years ago there were plans to move the Michigan State Fair to East Lansing to highlight MSU's agricultural program. East Lansing is more centrally located for a state-wide fair which could highlight agriculture, horticulture and animals. Novi has more room than the Silverdome and just might work and there is plenty of parking and space for amusements and rides.

East Lansing would make perfect sense giving MSUs ag programs and the central location.

**j32885** · May-24-12, 04:30 PM

Sounds like L.B.P. is up to no good again. I'm sorry. I don't want to the State Fair coming starting back up again in the Detroit region, especially if it's in the Oakland County!

It died a slow death, in it's old home in Detroit. IF it comes back, I would rather see it go to Lansing or MSU campus farms. State Fairs in other states are located in capital regions. Ohio's is Columbus and Indiana's is Indy.

**hudkina** · May-25-12, 12:06 AM

If a true "State Fair" were to recommence, it almost certainly should be moved to East Lansing. It's centrally located.

**313WX** · May-25-12, 12:14 AM

I'm pretty much in agreement with poobert on this [[on Principle)...

But ultimately, meh.

**coracle** · May-25-12, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

I didn't see anyone else stepping up to offer an alternative location. No one in Novi has any delusions that this location is the equivalent of the state fair grounds. But no one has stepped forward to host the fair at no cost to the fair organizers either.

I also wasn't in favor of having the Fair in Novi because of the smell but on reflection it does have advantages like we could be sure of not bumping into poobert.

**kenp** · May-25-12, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by coracle

I also wasn't in favor of having the Fair in Novi because of the smell but on reflection it does have advantages like we could be sure of not bumping into poobert.

Now that was funny