The rain isn’t stopping the kickoff of the Michigan State Fair, but officials said they’re keeping an eye on the weather so no one’s stuck on the Ferris wheel just as a thunderstorm hits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“There’s so many things that people don’t think about, looking at meteorology reports and looking at weather reports and patterns,” said Brian Szmytke, a public safety expert.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Safety at the annual state fair goes well beyond knowing what to do in case of a fire, a violent threat or even a stampede. The weather is also a factor to consider.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Szmytke said organizers at the state fair have plans in place for just about every scenario, and preparing for the weather is much like other major events.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Similar to how you would have at any major league sporting game that’s outside, you know, if there’s a lightning strike within X number of miles, there’s safety precautions that come into play there,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the event of a thunderstorm or other severe weather, attendees will hear an announcement over the fairgrounds’ PA system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“That goes throughout the whole interior and exterior of the building, so it alerts everybody to either take safety in our main building, or we have a barn that we’re doing ticket sales on the opposite end of the property,” said marketing manager Alexa Madden.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the fair has to close down because of the weather, Madden said there are no refunds on tickets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After issues with rowdy young people and even a shooting in the parking lot of the fair back in 2024, minors are not allowed on the fairgrounds without an adult parent or guardian present. <\/p>\n
Szmytke said the Oakland County sheriff and other agencies are using all available tools to ensure a smooth, fair experience this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We have great live view trailers now that you can use to, you know, cover areas that maybe don’t have permanent installations. We have drone coverage now. We have all kinds of great technology in place to be able to identify any kind of trouble very early on,” Szmytke said.\u00a0<\/p>\n