Thrills & Delights: Ann Arbor’s Carnivals 2025

The Milan Fair is one of the first Washtenaw County fairs each year an offers a full fair experience.

Opening day Thursday includes a parade at 6p. Friday’s fair day concludes with fireworks over the lake. Pull up a blanket or chairs on Wabash St for a great view. Saturday starts with a magic show at 11a.

Milan Fair Schedule:

Celebrate with the Hamburg Fun Fest. Head for the carnival rides, but stick around for some of their other activities.

Buy your carnival wristbands now!

• Watch pro wrestling
• Family Fun Ride on Saturday at noon
• Classic & Custom Car Show on Saturday
• Jonathon LaChance with Unbelievable Comedy & Magic!
• Petting Zoo
• Free Mini Golf
• Glass Blowing
• Fireworks Friday & Saturday
• And More.

Check our calendar listing for each day for more details

Hamburg Family Fun Fest Schedule

Big Rock Amusements is bringing a new carnival to Briarwood Mall. The Briarwood Summer Carnival will be held over two weekends in June.

Canton LibertyFest is a 3 day carnival. 2025 is the 32nd Canton LibertyFest.

The first 2 hours of the carnival each day are Sensory Sensitive!

Carnival ride wristbands can be bought for $30 for a Thursday or $35 for Friday or Saturday – cash only on site. You can buy a $30 single day ticket valid any day online in advance with a $1.99 fee. A 3 day Mega Ride* Wristband can be purchased online in advance for $100 (plus $1.99 fee). The multi-day pass cannot be bought on site. Buy your wristband now.

(Note, do the math on the Mega Bands – 3 individual days come out cheaper than a single Mega Band)

The Thrill Zone portion of the Midway will be fenced to improve safety and crowd management.

In addition to the carnival, they have a marketplace, petting farm, live music, LEGO Display, and more. Don’t miss the Scholastic Book Fair. While you’re there food is available from various vendors and food trucks.

Mark your calendars for fireworks on Friday night (rain date of Saturday). Saturday starts with the Liberty Run and a pancake breakfast. Also on Saturday is Canton’s Juneteenth Celebration. There will also be music each afternoon and evening.

Canton LibertyFest Schedule

In 2024, Dexter hosted a June carnival as part of their Bicentennial Celebration! The American Legion and Knights of Columbus have partnered to bring the carnival back in 2025! The carnival also moves to the American Legion/Knights of Columbus grounds on Dexter-Chelsea Rd.

The Dexter Summer Carnival will be using Fair Pass – a digital ticketing system from Wade Shows. You can buy in the app and use on a phone or load to a card at the fair.

Parking will be available in the Broad St city lots with accessible parking in front of the Knights of Columbus Hall.

The Ann Arbor Jaycees Carnival is an Ann Arbor tradition. It is held each June in the Pioneer High School parking lot. The Carnival includes rides, games, and food. For my daughter, the highlight of the Carnival is the rides. She has loved rides from the first time I took her to the Jaycees Carnival at 1.5 years old.

Tickets

Skerbeck returns as the ride operator for the 2025 Ann Arbor Jaycees Carnival. There is a minimum purchase to enter the carnival. You have to spend $10/person or $20/family. In person, the event is cash only at the gate. There you can purchase midway bucks, ride tickets, or ride wristbands. Credit cards and PayPal can be used to purchase wristbands before noon on June 19th.

You can show proof of an online wristband purchase, or purchase a wristband, ride tickets, or midway bucks for food or games at the gate.

Ann Arbor Jaycees Carnival Schedule

Michigan Challenge Balloonfest is holding their 40th annual event in 2025. The event features hot air balloons that you can see on the ground, as they fly in, or during the Balloon Glow on Saturday night. The Festival also includes a full carnival, market place shopping, and live entertainment.

Thursday is only the Carnival rides. Friday-Sunday is the full event with the balloons, entertainment, and more.

Check out our review from the 2019 Michigan Challenge Balloonfest. We attended on Saturday to watch the Balloon Glow.

On Friday-Sunday, there is an admission fee of $5/day or $10/weekend. The weekend admission wristband is only available Friday and is valid Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Carnival rides are an additional cost with a $30/day wristband or tickets for $1.25/each or $20/20 tickets.

Schedule your carnival visit to see the 6:30p balloon launch on Friday or Saturday and watch the laser light show and Balloon Glow at dusk. There is also a 6:30-8a balloon launch on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Make time to take in the Arts Festival & Open Market, Entertainment, and the Family Fun Tent. There is also a Classic Car Show on Saturday.

The Manchester Fair celebrates it’s 80th year in 2025!

Make plans to attend the opening night parade on Tuesday, Insane Wrestling Revolution on Wednesday, Battle of the Bands on Thursday, and the Demo Derby on Friday.

Anderson Midways is providing the rides. Advance tickets and wristbands are available for pre-purchase. A Mega Pass costs $80 and is valid for the entire fair. A single day wristband is $30 in advance.

Head to the Chelsea Community Fair for a fun time at the carnival rides or visiting the animal exhibition barns.

The 2025 schedule is not out yet beyond the dates, but we will update closer to the fair.

The Saline Fair is an annual event that brings together agricultural displays, activities and a carnival. Beyond the rides, take a walk through the barns to see the animals from baby birds to large cows. Check out the buildings for collections. Check out some of the grandstand shows like tractor pulls, Ag Olympics, auto cross derby, and more.

This year, the fair starts on Wednesday which is Saline Schools Day. The full fair runs through Sunday with just rides on Labor Day Monday.

When my daughter was younger we loved visiting for children’s day while the big kids were at school. We always had a great time. There’s a touch a truck, lots of kid-friendly activities, and special preschool only ride specials from noon-2p.

Saline Fair Schedule

The Saline Community Carnival seems to have been a one year event. The Saline Rec Center hosted the Saline Community Carnival in their south parking lot in 2024. The event is not include in their 2025 summer brochure. Last year’s ride operator was Skerbeck which also does not list it in their 2025 events.

Skerbeck is the ride operator for the Saline Community Carnival. Wristbands are $25/person in advance.

Parking is available in the north RecCenter lot, the north Tefft Park ballfields lots, and the DAVCO parking lot south of the Rec Center. There is no parking along Woodland Drive.

Saline Community Carnival Schedule