BUILDING A BRAND NEW KENT COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS CAMPUS AND EXPO CENTER FOR OUR COUNTY OUR WEST MICHIGAN COMMUNITY AND OUR STATE.
For over 80 years, the Kent County Youth Fair has been building up youth.
We grow leadership skills, cultivate character traits, and nurture interest in the sciences through our agricultural projects.
We are proud of the role we play in creating our next generation of leaders in all industries, including the dynamic world of agribusiness.
But we desire to build up more youth, introduce agriculture to more families, and attract and educate more and diverse audiences… and not just over ten days in the summer but all year long!
To do that, we need space to grow.
It’s not just about bigger, it’s about better.
THE CAMPAIGN
Raising Barns, Building Youth is a multi-phased campaign effort to create a campus worthy of our state’s rich history as an agricultural leader, and our county’s as the pre-eminent Youth Fair that has set the bar for so many others.
Through it, we will be able to develop a facility that will not only be an asset to the Youth Fair, but to the community, our region and our state. It will become a destination spot for horse and livestock shows, large festivals, expositions and events of all kinds, bringing sustainable revenue to the Fair and impacting our local and regional economy.
PHASE I: SECURING LAND
In Phase I, we raised nearly $4 million allowing us to take the first step in making this dream a reality.
We purchased the former Deer Run Golf Club located at 13955 Cascade Rd SE in Lowell Township, approximately 3 miles from Interstate 96 and less than 5 miles south of our current location. Here we have 140 acres to build a state-of-the-art fairgrounds.
The land includes a banquet facility that can accommodate both Youth Fair needs and continue serving our community as a venue for social functions.
The new campus will not only host the annual Kent County Youth Fair every August, it will also be a destination spot for equestrian and livestock shows, large festivals, expositions and events of all kinds. Help Empower Area Youth by Donating Today!
PHASE II: BECOMING OPERATIONAL ON SITE
We have a Master Site Plan and have prioritized construction to allow us to move in as soon as possible as we continue to build out our full campus vision. This next step will allow us to become operational on site with a mix of new, permanent buildings and temporary tents for our first fair in August 2023.
Phase II includes the following projects:
Finish Site Preparation (new septic, utilities, lighting, fencing)
Build the first set of structures
3 Livestock Barns
1 Show Pavilion
2 Horse Barn
1 Horse Show Arena
Campsites / restrooms
Our campaign cabinet is actively reaching out to donors in our community. To date, we have raised $13,130,172.
We welcome your continued interest in the campaign and its long-term impact on our Youth Fair and the community at-large.
We invite you to check back for more up-to-date information as we continue to move forward towards our 85-year dream of a permanent home with modern facilities, accessible pathways and room to grow and meet demand.
Construction of The Grand Agriculture Center of West Michigan; Summer 2022
Construction of the first Livestock Barn began on December 18, 2022.
EMPOWERING YOUTH, ONE BARN AT A TIME!
To give, please click the donate button. You may use a debit card or credit card to give. Your gift will be deposited into a special account set up specifically for the Raising Barns, Building Youth Campaign and will go solely toward expenses for building The Grand Agriculture Center of West Michigan, home of the Kent County Youth Fair.
Please Note that online contributions will have processing fees deducted. If you would like to prevent the fair from incurring any fees along with you gift, please print a pledge card and donate via check.
A donation to the Kent County Youth Agricultural Association, a 501(c)3 organization, is fully deductible to the extent allowed by the law. (#38-6087816)
