U.P. State Fair begins Monday, August 11

For those that didn't know, the U.P. has their own State Fair due to its isolated nature. Held each year in Escanaba since its inception in 1928 the Upper Peninsula State Fair is more accessible to Upper Peninsula residents than the Michigan State Fair held in Detroit. The gates are open at 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. and admission is only $8 for adults, $6 for ages 6-12, and kids under 5 are free. Monday, August 11th, is Preview Day and admission is discounted to $4 for adults, $2 for youth and kids under 5 are still free.

An even better deal than the admission price is the fact that you can attend all of the grandstand shows for free as they are included in the admission price. Down here there's a large fair in northern Indiana that charges around $14 for admission and includes grandstand shows. The U.P. State Fair looks like a pretty good deal.

We were up at the fairgrounds last Labor Day weekend and attended the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Show. I have to say the fairgrounds are lovely and there are numerous permanent exhibits of interest as well.

The fair runs Monday through Sunday and the weather looks great.

For more information: Escanaba Daily Press article Schedule of events for U.P. State Fair

Video of Paradise, Michigan fireworks show from last year

Paradise, Michigan shows how to finish off a fireworks display in this video taken from the 2007 fireworks show. For those of you who cannot wait for your local displays tonight - here's a little taste.

Happy 4th of July!

Find local fireworks displays in Michigan

Over the weekend while working outside my son and I heard a constant barrage of rumbles and loud bangs from local pyrotechnicians perfecting their craft for the 4th of July. Yes, it's that time of the year again when local dogs run for cover under the porch or in their doghouse and don't emerge until the 4th of July weekend is over. *Important Legal Disclaimer*

Now remember, any firework that explodes or shoots up in the air (other than sparks shooting in the air) is illegal in Michigan so I do not recommend purchasing anything like that for use in Michigan.

*Legal Disclaimer Over*

It is safest to leave it up to the experts and attend a local fireworks display. Plus, other than the donation bucket that makes its way around the crowd - they're a lot cheaper than buying your own meager display.

To find nearly any display of fireworks this 4th of July head on over to MichiganFireworks.com. You can search by date or city. Site creator Meg Geddes has 460 displays listed as of this blog post.

The final Tomahawk Game

Or is it? Saturday October 13 at 7 p.m. Constantine and White Pigeon will meet up for the 86th and perhaps final time on the gridiron. Constantine is leaving the St. Joseph Valley Conference for the Kalamazoo Valley Conference and will not have room in its schedule to accommodate a non-conference game with White Pigeon starting next season.

The series dates back to 1929 between the two rival schools separated only by a few corn fields and three miles. The winner of the annual contest gets possession of the Tomahawk. The Tomahawk was made from a large indian arrowhead stone found in a field between the two schools.

The two schools agreed to play each other with the winner receiving the Tomahawk until next year's game. Constantine won the first game 14-6 and has recently won 15 Tomahawk games in a row.

Even though the game has been rather lopsided in recent years you can just about guarantee that there will be a record crowd at Saturday's game. More buildup than normal is going on at each school this week as players and fans prepare for what could be the final contest in the storied battle.

From the Kalamazoo Gazette -

Research by school officials on both sides verifies that the Constantine-White Pigeon contest is Michigan's longest-running high school football series for which a token artifact is awarded to the winner.

For those not familiar, White Pigeon's mascot is the Chiefs. The town is named for Chief White Pigeon who saved the area's earliest settlers from an imminent indian attack by running all the way from the Detroit area to warn the residents. I thought I should throw that out to help people realize why a Tomahawk would be the trophy.

Read this article in the Kalamazoo Gazette for more information on the History of the Game

Don't forget to visit the Anatomy of a Yooper exhibit

This past January I wrote about The Anatomy of a Yooper exhibit at the Marquette County History Museum that began running in April. The exhibit is still open and is featuring traditional U.P. food (I'm thinking pasties) at an open house this Thursday from 7 to 9pm. The exhibit showcases how Yoopers coped with the harsh Upper Peninsula winters and how the conditions in the U.P. created hardened workers with a great work ethic. Numerous pictures and Yooper gear abound in this interesting exhibit.

A great book to read that tells how Upper Peninsula residents made it through the tough conditions is -

So Cold A Sky, Upper Michigan Weather Stories

This book is one of the 2007 Michigan Notable Books.