BROOKLYN, Mich. — Michigan will add another fair to its already crowded roster of fairs and exhibitions for Labor Day weekend, when the Big Mitten Fair and Festival holds its inaugural event Sept. 3-7, overlapping the newly minted Fifth Third Michigan State Fair in Novi, Sept. 4-7.

Fifth Third Michigan State Fair began as a grassroots effort after the original state fair, at Woodward Avenue was inside Detroit’s downtown district, closed from lackluster financial performance and a debt-ridden state economy approximately five years ago. The original event was one of the nation’s oldest state fairs, running for 160 years.

The Big Mitten Fair and Festival will be at the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, approximately 65 miles from the Fifth Third Michigan State Fair. "It is going to be a big fair," said General Manager Terry Bonnell, of the Big Mitten event.

The fair will focus on skilled trades – including agriculture – all of which have deep roots and history in Michigan’s economy and labor force. No fair is complete without a carnival, entertainment and fair food, all of which will be part of the venue as well.

"We’ve been working on this for five years," Bonnell said. "In our state with our history in the auto industry and all skilled trades, this event fits like a big mitten over Labor Day Weekend."

There will be several exhibits aimed at teaching young people the array of jobs available within skilled trades. Strong demand for trade workers is in the forecast for many years as a generation of skilled laborers reach retirement age.

The Miracle of Birth exhibit from Indiana will represent agriculture. Livestock shows and exhibits as such are not planned for the event; however, Bonnell doesn’t rule out the possibility of livestock shows becoming a part of it.

"What an outstanding venue to hold this event," he said. "There is 1.6 million square feet of well-drained asphalt. What a great place to hold a fair. We’ve worked on this concept for five years. To have it out in a field somewhere would be one thing, but to have it at MIS is a whole new aspect.

"It’s all about promoting the area, about reinventing our assets, just as Governor (Rick) Snyder has challenged the state."

"We hope nothing but the best for the new event," said Steve Masters, executive director of the Fifth Third Michigan State Fair. "We are all telling the story of Michigan. We are educating people about agriculture, the business culture and industry in Michigan. It’s a big story.

"If they are doing it with the right intention, it’s great. We are far enough apart for both of us to tell our story and serve our own markets."

The U.P. State Fair, Aug. 17-23, tells the story of agriculture and timber in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. "We are the only remaining state fair in Michigan established in Act 89 by Governor Fred Green, right after the state fair in Detroit was established," explained Vickie Micheau, executive director of Delta County Commerce, which manages the U.P. State Fair.

"We did with a very small community what other larger communities could not accomplish. It is a huge collaboration from among our 15 counties and the Hannahville Indian Community," she said. "I am very proud of our state fair."