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Armada Fair Family Fun Festival
This Macomb County classic offers old-fashioned farm-style fun Aug. 13-19, 2012, with animals, a midway, demolition derbies and tons more
The Armada Fair now stands as the granddaddy of good 'ol country fairs here in southeast Michigan (hint: If you love these sorta events, be sure to check out the all-new Great Lake State Fair in Novi later this month, too!). Now celebrating its 140th year, this northern Macomb County shebang is set to kick off on Monday, Aug. 13, 2012 – and it'll run till Sunday, Aug. 19, all at the Armada Fairgrounds.
As always, there'll be a wide variety of fun, countrified activities and entertainment provided at this year's blowout. The "Animal Oasis" opens at 8 a.m. daily, and the Chainsaw Men of Michigan do daily shows at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. Also, watch for Mikey Buggs and the Swamp Monster Encounter, also daily, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Here are a few other highlights, by day:
- Monday, Aug. 13: Check out the free Stick Horse Rodeo at 2 p.m., followed by carnival rides (open at 4 p.m.), opening ceremonies (5 p.m.) and the Bump & Run, a more dangerous and exciting spin "bumper cars" that uses real cars with "racecar flair" (that's at 7 p.m.). Today's also free for active military service personnel with current ID.
- Tuesday, Aug. 14: Monster Trucks rule the evening, getting the crowds revved at 7 p.m. Earlier, the carnival opens at noon, and catch swine and dog shows and free pizza-eating contest. Today, seniors ages 62-plus get in for $6 with current ID.
- Wednesday, Aug. 15: Kids activities rule today, running noon-5 p.m. and including a free candy scramble, face painting and rope making, plus a 1 p.m. pedal pull for ages 4-11 ($1/kid entry). Ready for demolition derby? Catch the high-speed craziness at 7 p.m. tonight.
- Thursday, Aug. 16: Guess what? It's day two of kids' activities! Again running noon-5 p.m., it repeats yesterday's fun (see above). Animal judging today includes beef, rabbits and horses. Tonight, the 7 p.m. Figure 8 Race promises a smashing good time.
- Friday, Aug. 17: Wanna see a country star? Craig Morgan hits the stage at 8 p.m. for a free show. His hits include "Red Neck Yacht Club" and "International Harvester" – yee-haw! It's also the third (and final) kids' activity day (same details as Wednesday). Swing by a free watermelon-eating contest, too (5 p.m.) and draft horse pull at noon.
- Saturday, Aug. 18: The truck and tractor pull are in charge today, with shows at 1 and 6 p.m. Carnival starts at noon, and today's 5 p.m. eating contest centers around corn on the cob.
- Sunday, Aug. 19: Truck and tractor pull action returns at noon today. Going for cheap? Show up at 6 p.m. for "Last Blast," when admission and parking is free – and rides are two for the price of one!
Regular costs for the Armada Fair are $8/adults, $2/kids ages 9-12 and free/under age 9. Parking is $5. There are various promo discount days (a few are mentioned above); you can also find $3 off coupons in a few local newspapers. The $20 ride armbands typically cover the midway fun 1-11 p.m. – or great the "Mega Ride Pass" for $50, which covers you all weekend.
Times vary by day for this festival. To find the most comprehensive list of events and times for the 2012 Armada Fair, visit the fair's website – which you can find through the Metro Parent listing (which also has other great information).
