One of the many villages dotting Alger County, Chatham is a “blink and you’ll miss it” type stop for truckers and weary travelers ambling along the M-94 highway in search of a quick refuel.
On Friday, traffic flowed into Chatham at a much higher rate, as the village fairgrounds hosted its annual Alger County Fair. Spanning from August 2 to 4, the three-day fair is an annual country classic. With events like an on-site chicken auction and a livestock costume contest, the only thing missing from this year’s itinerary was a hay barn hoedown.
Friday kicked off the festivities with a livestock judging contest, where the most primed and proper hogs, goats, and dairy and beef cattle, along with their trainers, were awarded ribbons ranging from 1st to 3rd place. Those interested can find the 2024 show results on the Alger County Fair website at algercountyfair.com.
Happening elsewhere on the fairgrounds was the Little Miss Alger County Competition and an open mic contest. Capping off the night, the local Michigan band Neo Lives played boot-stomping country music for any remaining latenight fair-goers.
Saturday attendees enjoyed performances from two more local bands, the Black Ice Diamonds and Sky Pilots, while others found their way to the bean bag tournament, trivia on stage, and the Homecoming Queen crowning.
To round things out, Sunday saw a 10 a.m. horse racing competition, where new and established jockeys from different age groups vied for fastest times. The chicken and little chicken auction followed suit, with potential buyers raising their numbers for one of 34 birds, all of which were raised by Alger County 4-H club members.
All proceeds from the fair will go to the Chatham Lions Club to support local community events.
Last year, the Alger County Fair was fortunate to receive two grants towards the upkeep of the fairgrounds. According to the 2024 Alger County Fairbook, a pdf booklet with information on the fair, “The first grant was given by Alger County and the city of Munising, from their allocated ARPA fund, for an electrical upgrade to the main recreation building and the ball field. We were able to update the system just prior to last year’s fair and the new electrical system worked flawlessly! The second grant was received from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) for the renovation of the existing horse arena….”
This year, fair runners were happy to announce new additions to their secluded lineup of events: “A community group will be running a laser tag game to raise money for new playground equipment at the fairgrounds, the Munising Moose Lodge will be conducting BINGO on Saturday evening, and a craft fair is being developed to showcase the many crafters in the area.”
“The mission of the Alger County Fair is to promote and advance the interest of agriculture, horticulture, household arts, mechanical arts and sciences, and art of their varied branches.” With help from the recent grants and the variety of events, their mission was successful in 2024.
