06/05/2026
This right here is what it is all about!
Just as when we enter this world we are nothing more than a mother’s child, when we step onto the Alpena Fairgrounds we are nothing more than a member of this community—because these fairgrounds are for everyone.
They belong to the families who’ve packed picnic baskets to enjoy the park, to the kids who light up on the midway, to the farmers who still shake hands over prize livestock, and to every single neighbor who ever danced under those grandstand lights or cheered at the demolition derby—because these fairgrounds are for everyone.
That’s why the recent attempts to drag politics into this fight feel so wrong. It’s not just disappointing, it’s disgusting. It tries to turn something sacred and shared into another battle line. But we refuse to let that happen—because these fairgrounds are for everyone.
Not everything is a political conspiracy. This effort to save our fairgrounds has never been about parties or power. It’s been about people. We’ve stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and folks who don’t even vote—because when the question is, "Do we allow our shared inheritance to be sold off?", the only answer that matters is the one we give together. We’ve worked with elected officials from every side of the aisle, including our own county commissioners, and we’ve welcomed every volunteer who showed up with work gloves and heart—because these fairgrounds are for everyone.
So let’s be crystal clear: when a neighbor offers their support or to host an event or to make a contribution, we don’t ask their politics. We say thank you—because these fairgrounds are for everyone.
This is bigger than politics. This is about what kind of community we choose to be. One that tears itself apart over labels? Or one that remembers who we really are when we walk through those fairgrounds gates? We are Alpena. We are stronger together. And we are not giving up these fairgrounds—because these fairgrounds are for everyone.
If you believe in this place, if it holds even one precious memory for you, stand with us now. Share this post. Bring a friend to the next county commissioners meeting. Tell your neighbors the truth: this fight isn’t red or blue. It’s green fields, bright lights, and the future for our kids.
Because these fairgrounds are for everyone. Let’s keep them that way.
