Courtesy Photo People place their order for a snack while at the Alpena County Fair on Wednesday. The fair has been through ups and downs during its 150-year history but always bounced back bigger and stronger.

ALPENA — During its 150 years, the Alpena County Fair has enjoyed many successes and has also suffered through tough times.

However, one thing is certain: The fair is a centerpiece of Alpena’s history and a must-attend summer event for many from the area and beyond.

From Garth Brooks and The Charlie Daniels Band performing to other popular events drawing in the crowds each night, the fair has had many highlights over the years.

There were also serious challenges the fair had to fight to overcome, such as the Great Depression, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a scandal in 2017 that led to a former Alpena County Fair Board member being sentenced to prison for embezzlement and capturing and distributing images of an unclothed person and one count of using a computer to commit a crime.

Still, despite the hurdles the fair has faced, Alpena County, the fair board, and supporters of the fair have been able to plow through the bad times and controversies and make sure the community had a fair each summer.

In 2018, however, while the embezzlement case for Bradly Avery was unraveling and allegations that he was secretly videotaping young girls changing brewing, the public began to lose its trust in the fair and its organizers.

As attendance dropped, the fair board was forced to downsize the event significantly in 2018. The midway had few rides and games, and public complaints about the state of the fair that year were common discussion in Alpena.

Realizing it had a problem, the board reset its focus on improving the fair and winning back the trust of the people it depends on to make the fair successful.

Current Board President Courtney Krentz was on the board back in 2017 and 2018 when the fair’s future was clouded. She said most people wanted the fair to continue, even if it was scaled down for a spell, and everyone involved buckled down to improve the fair and repair the board’s reputation.

“It was a slow year that year and we had changes on the board and some controversy,” she said. “We have worked hard to improve the fair and grow. We had to bust our butts to do that, but this year, the midway is full and people are coming and making memories.”

Krentz said this year, the rides and midway attractions are so bountiful that the carnival and vendors needed to be set up in areas of the fairgrounds that are usually reserved for other fair attractions and parking.

No matter how large or small the fair is, Krentz said, the goal will always be to offer affordable attractions and as many free events and features as possible. She said moving forward, that will remain a goal, as well as offering more premium entertainment in the grandstands.

In order to achieve the forward-looking goals, Krentz said, the fair will continue to depend on its volunteers who rise to the occasion each year to make the fair a reality.

“We have many different people who stepped up to help,” Krentz said. “This year, Wolverine State Credit Union has helped provide volunteers, and the Alpena High School sports teams are helping. The local boys scouts are lending a hand and we are just so thankful to everyone who steps up to give us a hand.”

There is still time to enjoy the fair in Alpena. The midway will be open daily until Saturday night. To cap off the historic anniversary of the fair, there will be a fireworks show on Saturday night.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.