Welcome to the first week of September in Mid-Michigan, a brief sweet spot between summer's full swing and the fall rush. The calendar this week is anchored by two of the region's biggest holiday-week traditions:the Michigan State Fair opens Thursday in Novi with carnival rides, livestock exhibits, live entertainment, and fair food running through Labor Day, and the Michigan Bean Festival kicks off Friday in Fairgrove, Tuscola County, with a four-day celebration of the region's dry-bean heritage. Whether you plan to hit the fair midway before the weekend rush or catch a show under the September sky, there is plenty to fill your week.
Beyond the fairs, this week offers a rich mix of music, museums, and community markets. Rob Zombie with Marilyn Manson, The HU,and Orgy headline Pine Knob Music Theatre on Friday night. The Live at Millpond Park series returns to Brighton on Thursday with The Detroit Drive for a free evening as the summer concert series continues into September. The Sloan Museum of Discovery in Flint is showcasing The Lost World of Dragons, a special exhibition that runs through September 13. And farmers markets across all seven counties are running at full stride with everything from sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes to early apples and winter squash. We have grouped everything below by category so you can plan your week with ease.
For deeper seasonal ideas, check out our September 2026 seasonal guide, our guide to the best farmers markets,and our fall welcome guide.
Festivals & Fairs
Michigan State Fair 2026
The Michigan State Fair returns to Novi from Thursday, September 3 through Monday, September 7 at Vibe Credit Union Showplace (46100 Grand River Ave, Novi), giving Oakland County its own full-scale state fair experience right before Labor Day. Carnival rides, livestock exhibitions, live entertainment, fair food, artisan vendors, and family activities fill the fairgrounds, and the Thursday and Friday sessions (11 AM to 8 PM) are a perfect way to beat the holiday-weekend crowds. General admission is $10 and does not include rides, games, or shows, so plan a little extra if the kids have their hearts set on the midway.
The fair's 2026 lineup also includes the Detroit Shrine Circus and fireworks, and the Saturday-through-Monday sessions (10 AM to 8 PM) stretch the full midway experience right through Labor Day.
Vibe Credit Union Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave, Novi, MI 48374 · michiganstatefairllc.ticketspice.com
Michigan Bean Festival
The Michigan Bean Festival takes over Mulberry Park (1933 Liberty Street, Fairgrove) Friday through Monday, drawing about 10,000 visitors for a four-day celebration of Tuscola County's dry-bean heritage. Expect a parade, carnival rides, a car show, go-cart and demolition derby events, cornhole tournaments, bingo tournaments, a craft show, bake sale, and live music, all with free admission. If you have never made it out to Fairgrove for Labor Day weekend, Friday's opening day is a great low-key time to explore the midway before the holiday crowd peaks
Mulberry Park, 1933 Liberty St, Fairgrove, MI · festivalval.com
Labor Day Weekend Specials
Arts, Beats & Eats at Royal Oak
Arts, Beats & Eats returns to downtown Royal Oak for its full four-day Labor Day run, pairing a juried fine-art show, more than 200 bands across 11 stages, and food from dozens of area restaurants under one downtown footprint. Headliner Third Eye Blind plays Saturday, September 5. Admission covers every stage with no extra concert fee: $10 when you buy in advance online and $15 at the gate, with kids under 3 free. New for 2026, the festival has dropped its food and beverage ticket system, so you can simply pay vendors directly as you go. It is a big, walkable, family-friendly way to spend the holiday weekend in Oakland County.
Downtown Royal Oak, MI · showpass.com/2026abe
Michigan Renaissance Festival: Viking Invasion Weekend
The Michigan Renaissance Festival at Hollygrove, off Dixie Highway just outside Holly, opens its Viking Invasion themed weekend Saturday through Monday, and the festival is open on Labor Day itself, so the long weekend can stretch into a full day of themed entertainment, artisan shops, and castle-era spectacle. Hours run 9 AM to 7 PM each day, rain or shine. Gate admission is $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for children ages 5-12, and $27.95 for seniors, plus fees, with ages 4 and under free. It is one of the most colorful family outings within an hour of Mid-Michigan.
12600 Dixie Hwy, Holly, MI 48442 · michrenfest.com
Franklin Art in the Village & Labor Day Round Up
The 81st annual Franklin Art in the Village & Labor Day Round Up fills FCA Park on Monday with an art fair, family activities, inflatables, pony rides, a petting farm, and a classic car show, all capped by the village's traditional noon parade down Franklin Road. The event runs from 10 AM to 3 PM and admission is always free; some activities and food are purchased with $2 tickets. It is the classic small-town Labor Day close to the holiday weekend in Oakland County.
FCA Park, Franklin Road between 13 Mile and 14 Mile, Franklin, MI · fcamichigan.org/roundup
Concerts & Live Music
Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson at Pine Knob Music Theatre
Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson co-headline Pine Knob Music Theatre on Friday night, with The HU and Orgy rounding out the bill. It is the kind of loud, theatrical, end-of-season amphitheater night that Pine Knob is famous for, and with gates opening around 6:15 PM you can settle in with dinner from the venue's concessions before the music starts. Tickets are the way in for this one, so grab yours ahead of time if you plan to go
Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI · bandsintown.com
Live at Millpond Park: The Detroit Drive
The Live at Millpond Park outdoor concert series continues Thursday night at the Downtown Brighton Amphitheater on Mill Pond with The Detroit Drive. This performance was rescheduled from July 16 due to heat concerns, so it is a second chance to catch a free evening of live music in one of Livingston County's prettiest downtown settings. Shows run from 7:00 to 9:30 PM. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, pick up dinner from a nearby downtown Brighton restaurant, and enjoy a beautiful late-summer evening by the water. Free and family-friendly
Brighton Amphitheater, Downtown Brighton, MI · brightoncitymi.gov
Fenton Summer Concert Series: After It All
The free Fenton Summer Concert Series continues Thursday evening at Rackham Park (150 S. Leroy St, Fenton)with After It All on stage from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. The concert pairs perfectly with the Fenton Farmers Market, which runs from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on the lawn of the Fenton Community & Cultural Center just adjacent, so you can shop the early-September produce and then settle in for live music as the evening cools. Free and family-friendly, this is one of southern Genesee County's favorite Thursday night traditions. Bring a chair and a few dollars for a market snack
Rackham Park, 150 S. Leroy St, Fenton, MI 48430 · slpr.net
Museums & Exhibits
The Lost World of Dragons at Sloan Museum of Discovery
If you have been meaning to see The Lost World of Dragons at the Sloan Museum of Discovery in Flint, time is running out: the special exhibition closes Sunday, September 13. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM (and Sunday noon to 5 PM, so this week's Tuesday-through-Friday stretch is a perfect window for a visit. Exhibit tickets include general admission: out-of-county adults are $25, seniors and students $21, and youth ages 2-11 are $17, while Genesee County residents receive a deeply discounted rate with proof of residency. Family-friendly, rainy-day-friendly, and worth clearing an afternoon for
Sloan Museum of Discovery, Flint, MI · sloanlongway.org
Farmers Markets at Early-September Peak
September's opener brings heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, melons, green beans, early apples, and winter squash into the market stalls across the region. Most markets follow regular weekly schedules, so here is where to find them this week:
Flint Farmers' Market
The Flint Farmers' Market (300 East First Street) is open year-round on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9 AM to 5 PM, making it a reliable anchor for the week's market runs. In this window that means Tuesday, September 1 and Thursday, September 3, with a wide mix of Michigan-grown produce, meats, cheese, bakery, flowers, prepared foods, and crafts from local vendors. The market building also houses several permanent food and drink vendors, so it is an easy stop for lunch as well as groceries
300 East First Street, Flint, MI · flintfarmersmarket.com
Fenton Farmers Market
The Fenton Farmers Market, hosted by Southern Lakes Parks & Recreation, runs Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on the front lawn of the Fenton Community & Cultural Center (150 S. Leroy St),with a full season that continues through Thursday, September 17. Early-September means sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, flowers, and baked goods at their peak in Fenton, and the market's placement next to Rackham Park makes it easy to combine with the free summer concert series. It is a classic small-town Thursday evening in southern Genesee County
Fenton Community & Cultural Center, 150 S. Leroy St, Fenton, MI · slpr.net
Oakland County Farmers Market
The Oakland County Farmers Market in Waterford (2350 Pontiac Lake Road) operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 7 AM to 1:30 PM under its May-through-December season schedule. In this window, Tuesday, September 1 and Thursday, September 3 are both market days, with vendors selling Michigan produce, plants, baked goods, and artisan foods at their late-season best. It is a favorite early-morning stop for anyone in the Waterford, Clarkston, or northern Oakland County area
2350 Pontiac Lake Rd, Waterford, MI · oakgov.com
Historic Farmers Market of Lapeer
The Historic Farmers Market of Lapeer, held at its downtown location(272 N. Court St), runs Wednesdays and Saturdays from May through October, with Wednesday, September 2 will be the market day in this week's window. Vendors there fill the historic downtown with Michigan-grown produce, plants, flowers, baked goods, and handcrafted items, making it an easy midweek stop whether you live in Lapeer or are passing through on the way to the fair. Free admission and plenty of parking nearby
272 N. Court St, Lapeer, MI · lapeerfarmersmarket.com
Downtown Saginaw Farmers' Market
The Downtown Saginaw Farmers' Market (203 S. Washington Ave) runs Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 AM to 3 PM, so both Wednesday, September 2 and Friday, September 4 fall in this week's window. Located in the heart of downtown Saginaw, the market brings local growers and makers together with fresh produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, and flowers, and it is an easy walk from the riverfront if you want to pair your market run with a stroll along the Saginaw River. Free admission
203 S. Washington Ave, Saginaw, MI · saginawfarmersmarket.org
Green Oak Village Place Farmers Market
The Green Oak Village Place Farmers Market (9608 Village Place Blvd, Green Oak Township)is a weekday-evening market that runs Tuesdays from 4:00 to 7:00 PM during its August-September season, making Tuesday, September 1 a convenient stop for Livingston County shoppers. Expect local produce, plants, and food vendors in a relaxed village-lot setting, ideal for grabbing farm-fresh ingredients plus dinner items on the way home from work. Free admission
9608 Village Place Blvd, Green Oak Twp, MI · mlive.com
However you spend it, this first week of September is a wonderful time to get outside, support local vendors, and enjoy the last long evenings of the season. The Michigan State Fair, the Michigan Bean Festival, and Arts, Beats & Eats carry the holiday-week energy straight through Labor Day Monday, while the Renaissance Festival's Viking Invasion weekend and Franklin's Labor Day Round Up give the long weekend its own small-town traditions. Farmers markets and free concert series keep things grounded in community at every step. For a look further ahead, don't miss our September 2026 seasonal guide.
Published by Joyce England, REALTOR® with Keller Williams First.