Lenawee County Fair returns July 26

ADRIAN — “Neon Lights and Country Nights” is this year’s title for the 187th edition of the Lenawee County Fair, which begins Sunday, July 26.

Michigan’s longest running fair — since 1839 — will bring all kinds of entertainment to the historic fairgrounds in Adrian, 602 N. Dean St., for nearly an entire week, closing things out Saturday, Aug. 1. During its weeklong run, the fair will be the spot “where bright midway lights meet small-town charm for an unforgettable summer tradition,” the fair said in a promotional brochure.

“Packed with entertainment, games, rides, classic fair food, live performances and plenty of animals, there’s something here for every age and interest,” the fair said.

The 2026 Lenawee County Fair board of directors has kept many of the fair’s tried and true traditions in place — free entertainment in the bandshell, 4-H and open class shows and exhibits, auctions throughout the week, local vendors and more. What might be most noticeable for this year are some of the structural updates across the fairgrounds, which have been made possible because of the efforts of a dedicated fair board, said president Dawn Barrett of Raisin Township.

Those facility updates, Barrett said, are to ensure the fairgrounds are maintained and spruced up presently while also looking a couple of years down the road to make sure future fairs are just as successful.

“To get ourselves the tiniest bit of help is huge in the long run,” Barrett, who described the Lenawee County Fair as a “hidden gem in southeast Michigan,” said in a phone interview.

When she was selected as president of this year’s fair board, Barrett noted she was “super excited” on getting to work to make a difference behind the scenes. Fair board member involvement is a year-round endeavor as the board works to grow involvement with local businesses, bring events to the fairgrounds and stand behind the fair’s mission in fulfilling its vision for the future.

Williams family gift creates legacy

Recently announced by the Lenawee County Agricultural Society is the establishment of the Williams Insulation Fairgrounds Capital Improvement Fund in Memory of Walt Williams, founder of Williams Insulation Inc. in Adrian. This permanent endowment represents a lasting investment in the future of the Lenawee County Fair, the Agricultural Society said, ensuring that generations to come will continue to experience the traditions, education, agriculture and community spirit that have defined the fair for more than a century.

The newly announced capital improvement fund will help enhance, preserve and modernize the fairgrounds. Earnings from the fund will be dedicated exclusively to permanent infrastructure and facility improvements, the Agricultural Society said, helping ensure the fairgrounds remain a vibrant community asset.

For Walt Williams, the Lenawee County Fair was never simply an annual event — it was a place where community, agriculture and opportunity came together, the society said.

“The Lenawee County Fair has always been more than a week-long event — it’s where traditions are preserved, agriculture is celebrated and young people discover opportunities that help shape their futures” Barrett said. “Walt Williams understood the importance of investing in community, and the creation of the Williams Insulation Fairgrounds Capital Improvement Fund in Memory of Walt Williams is a remarkable expression of that belief. The family’s generosity ensures that future generations will continue to experience everything that makes our fair so special.”

Wendee Bohn, Williams’ daughter, said her father believed that success also carried a responsibility of giving back. The Lenawee County Fair, she added, represents many of the values her father cherished — hard work, agriculture, family, education and neighbors helping neighbors.

“Supporting the 4-H livestock auction each year wasn’t simply a tradition for him; it was an investment in young people and in the future of our community,” Bohn said in a news release from the Lenawee County Agricultural Society.

Additional information about the capital improvement fund in memory of Walt Williams, including opportunities to support its mission, will be shared in the coming months, the society said.

General admission now $5

One of the highlights for this year’s fair, Barrett shared, is that general admission costs — for those 10 years of age and older — are $5, a decrease in price, she said, from previous editions of the fair. Children 9 and younger are admitted for free, as are active military personnel with proper identification.

After paying the $5 admission fee to enter the fairgrounds, nearly everything else at the Lenawee County Fair is free, no-cost entertainment. That includes daily 4-H animal shows and project displays, the Ag Education Tent, daily bandshell entertainment, a miniature horse pull Sunday, the annual Car & Bike Cruise-In from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, vendor exhibits and displays, Wednesday’s veteran lunch and program, open class livestock and static exhibits, live chainsaw carvings and Saturday’s Kid’s Pedal Pull.

There also will be strolling entertainment throughout the fairgrounds courtesy of the Sky High Skyler Stilt Show and Arestov’s Acrobatic Extravaganza.

The fair’s midway rides and games — once again being supplied by Big Rock Amusements — open at 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. Unlimited midway rides Tuesday-Saturday, via the mega pass, can be purchased for $85.

For the weeklong schedule of grandstand events, things get started at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 26, with the Earl Kelly Memorial Pull. Monday’s event, beginning at 7 p.m., is the Figure 8 Car & Truck Demolition Derby. For the remainder of the schedule, see below:

• Tuesday, July 28: 7 p.m., KOI Dirt Drags.

• Wednesday, July 29: 7 p.m., Figure 8 Car & Truck Demolition Derby.

• Thursday, July 30: 7:30 p.m., Lost Nations Rodeo.

• Friday, July 31: 7 p.m., Diesel & Gas Truck Pull.

• Saturday, Aug. 1: 7 p.m., Tuff Truck & Car Competition.

Tickets for the grandstand events can be purchased online by visiting lenfair.com/tickets. For any additional fair inquiries, visit lenfair.com, call 517-263-3007 between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, or email lenaweefair@gmail.com. During fair week, the fair office will have extended hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Besides the Earl Kelly Memorial Pull on opening day, Sunday’s entertainment slate includes the 4-H Center’s chicken BBQ starting at 11 a.m., the fair parade at 1 p.m. and the Lenawee County Fair Queen Contest beginning at 7 p.m. at the bandshell.