8 Reasons To Take Your Family to the Oakland County Fair

Destination Oakland provided us with passes to enjoy the fair. All opinions expressed are my own.

I won’t lie – I love a good county fair. The animals, the fair food, the colors, the people watching! There is so much excitement.

I have so many fond memories of visiting fairs as a kid. I have absolutely embraced the part of parenting where I now get to watch it through the eyes of my children, who are absolutely smitten too.

We visited the Oakland County Fair last night and were reminded of that good ole fashion fair magic. Here are 8 reasons to take your family during the next week:

Rides for all ages. From a carousel to the tilt-a-whirl, there is something for all to enjoy. Most rides start at 36″, so measure your toddler before heading out! My little gal is 3 in a few weeks and she was exactly the height required for most rides.

Plenty of bathrooms. With a half potty trained toddler, it can be worrisome going places where they aren’t familiar with the potty situation. Luckily, there were plenty of porta potties everywhere, including a nicer one in the building with the crafts and chocolate milk.

Animals, animals, animals. The $10 gate entry fee is totally worth it, even if you only visit the 4-H barns. We loved visiting the horses, goats, bunnies, sheep and pigs. The Show-Me-Safari is a petting zoo that is free to walk through as well. We paid $1 and fed the animals carrots, too. A pint-sized kid’s dream come true!

FREE shows and events. Pig races, diaper derbys, hands-on activities for kids, lumberjack shows and more are all included in fair admission. Check the daily schedule for each day’s special events. Be sure to check out Family Safety Day, coming up this Sunday too!

Classic fair food. Get ‘yer elephant ears, funnel cakes, fair fries and corn dogs along the colorful midway. Plenty of options to choose from. The funnel cake with cinnamon and sugar was amazing!

You can bring food in. Have a kid with allergies? Need a gallon of water to keep kids hydrated? No problem. Pack a cooler and bring it into the fair. We packed a small cooler with water on ice and it was SO needed after riding the rides in the high temps.

Bottomless chocolate milk for 50 cents. This is a deep-rooted Oakland County Fair tradition. The milk is provided by Cook’s Farm Dairy in Ortonville and is absolutely delicious. Also? It’s in an air conditioned building so you can seek shelter from the heat for a bit.

Grandstand events. Off-road derby, demolition derby, rodeo and monster trucks = a perfect family night out! {Additional fee: $10/adult, $5 for kids 6-14 and free for kids 5 and under.}

The Oakland County Fair is at 12451 Andersonville Rd., Davisburg, MI 48350. $10 parking fee per vehicle, $5 admission for motorcycles and walk-ups.

For more information about the Oakland County Fair visit oakfair.org, DestinationOakland.com, Facebook, Twitter: @DestinationOak and @OCParksNews.

What is your favorite reason to visit the fair?