The Michigan State Fair begins Thursday in Novi, showcasing the work of young people who live on farms. Riley Stechschulte manages the fair’s volunteers and sponsor relations. She says city kids get involved, too. 

“We have a great urban youth gardening program. We have an urban scholarship program as well as a livestock and agriculture. Those kids together, from rural areas and urban areas, and [we] have them teach each other about things that they do.” 

The event is smaller than the original Michigan State Fair, which ran out of money almost 20 years ago. Agriculture groups and corporate sponsors revived it in 2012 and moved it from Detroit to Novi. It runs through Labor Day at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace. 

Additional headlines for Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026

Labor Day weekend events

There are plenty of activities planned for Labor Day weekend this year.

The Detroit Jazz Festival returns with four days of free music. Gates open Friday at 5:30 p.m. and at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at Hart Plaza. Hamtramck’s Labor Day Festival starts on Saturday at noon on the Main Street of Joseph Campau. And Detroit’s Labor Day March kicks off at 9 a.m. in Corktown on Monday.  

MDARD stresses food safety

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is reminding residents to keep food safety in mind this Labor Day weekend. Officials advise those tailgating or hosting cookouts to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot with insulated containers.

Avoid cross contamination by keeping raw meat and poultry separate from other foods and beverages. Think twice about leftovers; throw out any cold food that is not 40 degrees or below, and any hot food that has been sitting out for 2 hours or more with an internal temperature below 140 degrees. Store and eat leftovers within four days.  

Olga Stella named chief of Economic Development and Workforce

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield is naming Olga Stella as the city’s new chief of Economic Development and Workforce.

Stella brings 25 years of experience to the job. She previously served several roles with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, including Chief Operating Officer. She helped launch the Motor City Match and Green Grocer programs. 

Free showers

The group Detroit Heals Detroit is offering free showers to anyone in need. According to an Instagram post, walk-ins are welcome.

Towels, body wash, razors, toothpaste and toothbrushes are provided. Showers have steamers, fresh eucalyptus, body scrubs, luxury shower heads and a shower speaker. And participants will also receive a free mini-toiletries kit to take with them.

Showers are open every Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 19510 Alcoy Street in Detroit, MI.  

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In a normal year, Michigan sees about 50 cases of a parasite called cyclospora. As of July 16, over 4,000 people have been infected, with more than 100 hospitalizations. Stranger still, Michigan’s own case count is larger than the entire national total.

The parasite cyclospora causes days, sometimes weeks, of explosive diarrhea, and health officials still can’t tell you exactly which food it rode in on. Their best guess this week: lettuce.

Given all this, something feels off, not just with our salad, but with the system that is supposed to see these things coming.

Professor Barbara Kowalcyk has spent more than 20 years trying to fix that system. She came to the job the hardest way there is: in 2001, her two-and-a-half-year-old son, Kevin, died after eating contaminated food. She turned that loss into her life’s work — she helped create the blueprint for America’s last major food-safety law. Today, she directs the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at The George Washington University. 

She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to assess this moment for Americans and how it is challenging the people working in public health trying to protect them.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have thoughts? Email the show at metro@wdet.org.

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