First held in 1849 in Detroit, the location of the Michigan State Fair rotated in the early years between Detroit, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Adrian, Jackson, Grand Rapids, East Saginaw, Lansing, and Pontiac before settling permanently in Detroit. When Detroit department store magnate Joseph L. Hudson sold 135 acres of Woodward Avenue farmland to the Michigan State Agricultural Society in 1905 for $1, the permanent home of the Michigan State Fair was established. On February 12, 2009, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm signed an executive order effectively ending a 160-year tradition--the Michigan State Fair.

Starting in San Francisco in 1854, the California State Fair and Exposition began as a vehicle to showcase, encourage, and expand California's agricultural industry. It quickly became an attraction for thousands of residents, both local and from across the state. By 1884, it occupied the largest exhibit hall in the United States. Within 100 years, it became the largest fair in the country by adding horse racing, elaborate exhibits from every county in the state and from around the world, thrill rides, top-flight entertainment, and, of course, the best food. The original goal of the fair was met some 50 years ago, as California remains the nation's top producer of agricultural products.

It started with a mother's love... Fleeing from a forest fire, a mother bear urges her two cubs into the watery shelter of a vast body of water. Though it will be difficult, she knows if they can swim across to the opposite shore, they will be safe. With calls of encouragement and steadfast love, Mother Bear guides her cubs across the great lake, Lake Michigan. And the story of what happens once Mother Bear reaches the far shore becomes the legend behind the natural wonder known as Sleeping Bear Dune. In 1998 writer Kathy-jo Wargin and nature artist Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen combined their talents to bring The Legend of Sleeping Bear to life. Published to wide acclaim, the book was soon named the Official Children's Book of Michigan.

"A collection of puzzles, games and other activities based on facts about Michigan geography, history, culture, recreation and attractions"--Title page verso.

Recipes and stories of the bakers of the heartland—from family kitchens to county fairs to iconic businesses. Discover how the Midwest refined the nation’s sweet tooth through a delicious mix of immigrant traditions and American ingenuity. Chef Jenny Lewis dips a spoon into generations of homemade desserts, and examines the cogs and wheels of some of the biggest brands of the baking industry—taking us on a journey that evokes nineteenth-century flour mills, state-fair baking competitions, and roadside pie stands as well as the twenty-first century treats being made in the Great Lakes region. In this history Midwest beet sugar, vanilla cream, and evaporated milk are mixed into a narrative of wars, social shifts and politics, including many first-person interviews. Along the way you’ll learn how to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, witness the rise of Red Star Yeast, plumb the secrets of the Kraft Oil Method, and encounter a rich medley of other true stories and irresistible recipes from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.