With preparations nearly complete, organizers of the Alger County Fair say this year’s event will stick to what works: friendly competition, hometown pride and a community that shows up for one another.
“It’s a small county, so it’s all about the people,” said Paul Naasz, president of the Alger County Fair board. “Every year it’s a push to get ready, but we keep doing it because it means something to this community.”
Naasz said the number of exhibitors held steady last year, with 138 youth and 41 open class participants entering more than 1,300 items across livestock, art, crafts and other categories.
That momentum is supported by the work of Michelle Coleman and Barb Trombley, co-superintendents of the Exhibitors Building.
Coleman oversees the youth exhibits, while Trombley handles the adult categories — and both say the volume and creativity of entries never cease to impress.
“We’re starting next Monday,” Trombley said. “We’ll get everything set up that night. The sports teams from Superior Central are coming in to help — it’s basically a full-week effort.”
She added, “This is a whole community effort with 4-H, the fair board, the sports boosters and all the help we get.”
Coleman said, “I like seeing the kids’ artwork — I think that’s being creative. It’s great to see them express themselves through photos, drawings and paintings. Same with the sewing. You just don’t see a lot of kids sewing anymore, so it’s really kind of neat when they actually make something and bring it in.”
Naasz has seen the fair come full circle over the decades.
“I’m starting to see second- and third-generation kids showing up to the fair,” he said. “When I first started, kids were exhibiting — now their kids are exhibiting, and before long, it’ll be grandkids. That’s kind of neat.”
Exhibitors carry legacy forward Behind the shelves of canned goods, rows of handmade quilts and carefully arranged flowers are exhibitors whose work tells a deeper story — one of tradition, family and creativity.
Treasa Sowa has been entering exhibits at the Alger County Fair for over 50 years. A multiple-time winner of the Alger County Fair Homemaker of the Year award, she still remembers the moment it all began.
“My mom encouraged me to enter things,” Sowa said. “In 1966, I won my first ribbon. And back in 1981, I was Homemaker of the Year at the U.P. State Fair.”
Her specialties include floral entries, food preservation and loom-woven rugs made from recycled fabrics.
“I always enter a rug or two,” she said. “There’s another category in the crafts for recycled fabric, so I usually weave one in some other kind of fabric — like denim, jeans or whatever.”
Sowa said she weaves them on an antique loom — a process she finds deeply rewarding.
“It’s fun to look forward to,” she said. “The people that come through to see the fair — they like to see the shelves full. So I try to be a part of that.”
Her advice for newcomers is simple: “Find something that you like to do and enter it. Don’t be afraid. It’s for fun, and people enjoy it — and you’ll enjoy it.”
Lindsey Slifka, another repeat Homemaker of the Year, shares that spirit.
“To win Homemaker of the Year is a task that starts a year ahead of time,” Slifka said. “You’re making sure it’s absolutely perfect — which homemaking isn’t perfect.”
She said some of her proudest entries have come straight from the garden.
“Last year, I had a best in show in sauerkraut,” Slifka said. “It was cool because sauerkraut is a very family-oriented thing for us.”
Her advice to first-time exhibitors is grounded in experience: “Be proud of it. I’ve entered a lot of things that got white ribbons that I worked really hard on — and I’ve entered things I haven’t worked very hard on and I’ve gotten a best in show.”
For both women, the fair is more than an event — it’s a generational tradition.
“It’s a family-oriented event,” Sowa said. “There’s always something for everyone.”
As organizers put on the finishing touches and exhibitors prep their entries, the heart of the Alger County Fair remains unchanged: It’s a place where traditions are honored, talents are shared and memories are made — whether it’s your first ribbon or your 50th.
From sauerkraut and quilts to pig pens and prize dahlias, the fair continues to celebrate the everyday work and quiet pride that define this community.
For those planning ahead, physical copies of the Alger County Fair book can be picked up at several locations. In Chatham, copies are available at the Chatham Co-Op, Peoples State Bank, the MSU Experiment Station and Northern Lights Credit Union.
In Munising and the surrounding area, you can find the fair book at Peoples State Bank (all branches), Tractor Supply, Ember’s Credit Union, Munising Floral Shop, Midway General Store on M-13, Forest Glen on M-13 and the MSU Extension Office in Wetmore.
The full book is also available online as a downloadable PDF.
The Alger County Fair is scheduled for Aug. 1-3 in Chatham.
