Old Michigan State Fairgrounds (Nov2020)
The Michigan State Fair began in Ann Arbor in October of 1839. It moved to Detroit in 1849, the year the fair became officially affiliated with the State of Michigan. Its permanent home was established in 1905 at the southeast corner of 8 Mile Rd (M-102) and Woodward Avenue (M-1). This placed the fair right along the border between Wayne County and Oakland County while the border of Macomb County was only two-miles east.
Michigan State Fair's attendance peaked in 1966 with 1.2 million visitors. By 2009 it was down to 217,000. Long dwindling attendance coupled with the Great Recession brought the 170-year-old fair to an end. The State of Michigan ceased to offer financial support amid more pressing priorities.
The state fair was reborn as The Great Lakes State Fair in 2012 as a private enterprise. Along with the new name and different sources of funding the fair was held at the Suburban Collection Showplace in the Detroit suburb of Novi, Michigan.
The original state fairground property at Woodward and 8 Mile Rd languished for 10 years. Numerous redevelopment plans failed to gain traction. In 2020 it was announced that Amazon wanted to acquire the entire property for the construction of $400 million order fulfillment center. As seen in this video land was already being cleared by heavy machinery. And despite historical status the remaining fairgrounds building will likely be leveled to make for Amazon's huge plans. This includes the 5600-seat Hertel Coliseum (built in 1922) and the Bandshell (built in 1918).