As the summer winds down (seems it just got here, doesn’t it?), folks are flocking to a variety of holiday weekend events, including the Michigan State Fair, which is open daily through Labor Day, and the Michigan Renaissance Festival, which continues on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day, through Oct. 4.
State Fair hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The fairgrounds are on Woodward at Eight Mile Road.
Admission costs $10 ($5, for children 3-12 and seniors 62 and older). Children 2 and younger are admitted free. Parking costs $7.
In addition, seniors 62 and older will be admitted free all day Aug. 31, and past and present members of the armed services with identification can attend the fair without charge on Sept. 6.
Wheelchairs, scooters and strollers are not available.
New rides, activities and food temptations are offered and, of course, there is an array of agricultural displays. Historic attractions include the World’s Largest Stove, built for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago; the house occupied by President Ulysses S. Grant while he was stationed in Detroit; and a statue of Seabiscuit, the racehorse that won the Michigan Governor’s Handicap Race at the fairgrounds in 1936.
“Under the Stars” concerts, which are free with the cost of fair admission, begin at 7 p.m. in the band shell. Disney movies are being shown at the Hudson Auditorium.
Additional information about fair activities is available by visiting www.michiganstatefair.com or calling (313) 369-8250.
Visitors to the 31st annual Michigan Renaissance Festival are experiencing 16th century food, games, jousting, comedy and theater shows on 16 stages, people-powered rides, craft demonstrations and more at a 17-acre site in Holly, just off I-75, Exit 106.
Gates open at 10 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Parking is free.
Tickets are $18.95, adults, and $9.95, children 5-12. Children under 4 are admitted free. Discounts are available at Kroger Walgreen and Wendy’s stores.
The popular fire-roasted whole turkey leg is again among the many menu items, which also include soup in a bread bowl, Scotch eggs and apple dumplings and other traditional entrees and desserts.
For addition information, call (800) 601-4848 or visit www.michrenfest.com. A map of the site is available on line.
More events . . .
Sept. 4-7 — Arts, Beats & Eats – Festival of Hope, a benefit for more than 12 charities; in Downtown Pontiac; Kola’s Food Factory of Riverview and Trenton Ice Cream Shoppe are among 50 participating eateries; an admission donation of $2 is asked; for more information, visit www.artsbeatseats.com.
Sept. 14 — Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber’s annual Steak Roast, 5 to 8 p.m. (doors will open at 4:30) at the Riverview Community Center, 14260 Sibley Road; tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door; for reservations or more information, call (734) 284-6000 or visit www.swcrc.com.
Sept. 21 — Downriver Council for the Arts’ 31st annual Salute to Excellence fund-raiser honoring Sharlet and Pietro DiGiorgio, Greg Mahar and Joe Scott; 6:30 p.m. dinner at the Trenton Hotel Grill followed by an awards ceremony, entertainment and a dessert afterglow at the Trenton Village Theatre; tickets, $100, are available by calling the DCA at (734) 720-0671 or visiting www.downriverarts.org.
Sept. 26 — Dinner dance and live auction benefiting Little Dresses for Africa, founded by Rachel O’Neill of Woodhaven; 6:30 p.m. at the Italian American Hall, 646 Biddle, Wyandotte; tickets, $35; party attire is suggested; for tickets or sponsorship opportunities, call O’Neill at (734) 637-9064.
(To contribute an item for Going Places, call Evelyn Cairns at (734) 692-5966, Fax (734) 675-8050 or visit [email protected].)