The U.P. State Fair received two Communication Awards at the Michigan Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (MAFE) Convention, recognizing creative social media engagement and a comprehensive media kit promoting the 2025 U.P. State Fair.

The U.P. State Fair came home with more than just good memories from this year’s Michigan Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (MAFE) Convention ~ it brought back two statewide communication awards recognizing creative promotion and strong storytelling.

One award honored the fair’s social media photo collection campaign, which invited fairgoers to share their favorite moments from the 2025 U.P. State Fair. The response was immediate and impressive when 462 photos were submitted in just 24 hours, capturing everything from livestock shows and carnival lights to smiling faces and behind-the-scenes fair moments. Those photos were later transformed into an 11×17 commemorative collage, celebrating the fair through the eyes of the people who love it most.

The second award recognized the comprehensive media kit, developed to promote the 2025 U.P. State Fair. The kit highlighted entertainment, agriculture and livestock judging schedules, and the wide variety of events taking place throughout fair week. The kit provided media outlets, partners, and fairgoers with a clear, engaging snapshot of everything fair week had to offer.

The MAFE Communication Awards are a featured part of the annual convention, designed to showcase creative and effective promotion while sparking ideas for fairs across the state. The U.P. State Fair’s recognition highlights how community engagement and a little U.P. ingenuity can turn simple ideas, like inviting fairgoers to share photos or creating a well-organized media kit, into powerful tools for promoting the many events taking place during the annual event.

These awards really belong to our community. From the fairgoers who snapped and shared photos, to the volunteers, vendors, sponsors, exhibitors, and staff who help make the U.P. State Fair something worth celebrating. This recognition reflects the energy, pride, and participation of the entire Upper Peninsula.

The U.P. State Fair continues to focus on creative ways to promote agriculture, entertainment, and community traditions while keeping the experience fun, affordable, welcoming, and unmistakably U.P.

For more information about the upcoming 2026 U.P. State Fair, visit upstatefair.net and follow us on social media.