The beginning of the end of state fairs?

When I was a kid, one of the biggest things we did in the early part of Autumn was going to the State Fair, and we did it every year. My mom had enjoyed going to the fair and did all kinds of small jobs to earn her own spending money for the event. The last one I went to was after I had graduated college. A couple of friends, my sister and I went to occupy time before the football game in the nearby stadium. It was neat to enjoy it as a young adult.

The state fair always meant fun rides, interesting exhibits and um, unique foods, but today I learned that the Michigan State Fair has been canceled, as the state can no longer afford to subsidize it. I know that Michigan has had major financial troubles since manufacturing jobs began leaving the state en masse, but other states are having trouble making ends meet, too. Will this become a trend? I hope not. I was looking forward to sharing a few of them with my children.