Every year on the 2nd week of August, the Marquette County Fair takes place at the fairgrounds…read morelocated south of Marquette, down County Hwy 553. It is our favorite fair to attend every year and I base my vacation on the date of the fair, as we always want to attend this one. Admission is something like $5 per adult, $2 for kids and kids under 2 free. Unwritten rule: Cute kids can get in for free. The elderly ticket vendor commented on his cuteness and let my 2 year old Stunt Baby get in for nothing. It is large as far as county fairs go. The first and largest of the barns is dedicated to arts, craft, and photographs, as well as baked goods, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. In the main barn, there are also a number of local businesses ranging from health clinics to car dealers. Deer and small game hunters can look at new hunting gear too. Over the years, we've bought scented candles, locally processed maple syrup, and wooden toys from craftsmen. Local politicians promote their re-election bids here too. The livestock exhibits consist of red barns arranged in sequential order so you can see them one after another as you move from barn to barn, from draft horses to cattle, pigs, poultry and small animals, and a separate 4H barn off to the side where you can see the kids' crafts, scrap books and collages entered into the fair. With numerous categories for judging, seems many of them get recognized for their accomplishments, as blue and red ribbons abound. Jilbert's Dairy sponsors the dairy barn and even bring their giant fiberglass cow "Jill" to stand at the entrance for people to get their picture with her. Inside, you can buy a limited selection of Jilbert's ice cream, but I recommend going to the dairy in Marquette afterwards, since it is cheaper and you have a wider choice of flavors. The barns are fun to visit, since many of the handlers and owners of the animals are there to talk about their particular animal, especially among the horses. While some of the animals can be petted, there's also plenty that warn about keeping your fingers out of the pens or cages. One of the most amusing things we saw was a horse dressed up in beer 24-pack cartons for a costume judging contest (see picture). The owner explained how much beer she had to consume to have enough cardboard for the costume. Besides the carnival rides and games near the entrance, there's the food. Our favorite has to be Croatian Village Chicken. They have a multi-rack rotisserie grill set up outside that turns dozens of chickens over charcoal till they're roasted golden-brown. The rotisserie itself is a mechanical marvel of angled gear and pulleys making all of these racks turn at once. We get half a chicken and some fresh-cut fries from Fabe's at another stand nearby. And they even have buffalo burgers for the adventurous meat lovers. There's some picnic tables and tents set up for people to eat. It is best to eat there and stay away from the barns so you don't inhale the "dairy-air" of the animals downwind. Grab a bag of salty-sweet kettle corn while you're there too. There's an outdoor theatre that puts on shows for kids at regular intervals, usually a small animal show and a birds of prey show with hawks, falcons and owls. And on the way out, why not pull over by County Road 553 for a while and go look for some wild blueberries near the sandy exit roads leading out of the fairgrounds...

Such a great farmer's market! Note there is a Wednesday night market starting at 6 in addition to…read morethe Saturday morning market. Fruits, veggies, herbs, screenprinted tshirts, French baked goods, Peace Pies and so much more!

People wanted to buy tomato plants, coffee and breakfast burritos. Everyone was enjoying the nice…read moreday so I loved walking around and seeing what is at this market. Lines seemed reasonable... and I did get a breakfast burritos!

My son had an absolute blast! My other son wants to come over now! The staff was the nicest and…read moreso helpful! Thanks!

EOR VR does a great job providing a VR experience for all ages. The staff are very friendly,…read morethoughtful, and helpful. There are snacks and drinks available. This place rates a solid 4.5 stars for a small town VR arcade !

We stopped here during Retro Days (so cool to see so many tie-dyed t-shirts!) and enjoyed a pair of…read moreSummer Shandys. The staff was very friendly and outgoing despite the long day of festivities ahead. The bar is roomy, has pool tables and gaming machines as well as a great selection of local brews. The wood finishes make you feel like you are enjoying a cold drink at your buddy's cabin. It's a great stop in a beautiful town - enjoy!