For immediate release: May 7, 2026

Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel, 517-290-1734

MDARD Announces $525,000 of Grants to Support County Fairs & Expositions

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced $525,000 of grants to fund infrastructure improvements at county fairground facilities and to support livestock and commodity expositions.

“County fairs and expositions are cherished summer traditions that boost local commerce while providing the training and education young Michiganders need to become future leaders in agriculture,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “Today’s county fair grants enhance safety and invest in the infrastructure and programs that connect Michiganders to each other and to the foods that nourish our communities.”    

MDARD awarded $507,000 of County Fairs Capital Improvement Grants to help the following eight entities invest in grandstands, livestock housing, electrical improvements and other projects:

• Chelsea Community Fair – $59,580 to construct fairground pathways that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Jackson County Fair – $56,667 to renovate fairground restrooms.
• Lake Odessa Civic & Agricultural Association – $100,000 for livestock facility upgrades.
• Montcalm County Fair Association – $29,707 to upgrade the fair’s public announcement and security systems.
• Northwestern Michigan Fair (Traverse City) – $92,049 to replace the poultry barn at the fairgrounds.
• Ottawa County Fair – $11,997 for electrical service upgrades to support 4-H activities and improve power stability for livestock areas, campers and vendors.
• Shiawassee County Fair – $57,000 to replace the concrete floor of the fair’s sheep barn.
• Upper Peninsula State Fair (Escanaba) – $100,000 to replace the roof of the fair’s beef barn.

MDARD also awarded $18,000 of Livestock and Commodity Exposition Competitive Grants to help the following four entities fund premiums and promotional activities:

• The Fowlerville Agricultural Society – $5,000 for open class premium and award support.
• Genesee County Agricultural Society – $5,000 to expand premium support and animal safety for shows.
• Shiawassee County Fair – $5,000 for a marketing campaign to increase livestock auction participation and attendance.
• Upper Peninsula State Fair – $3,000 to exhibitor opportunities by offering new classes livestock competition.

MDARD’s County Fairs Capital Improvement Grants help fund safety and infrastructure enhancements at county fairground facilities, including structural improvements and other building renovations. To qualify for these grants, fairs must:  

• Be incorporated under Act 80 of 1855, or
• Be a county-owned and operated fair under Act 11 of 1929, and
• Have submitted all required annual reports to MDARD for the prior three years.

MDARD’s Livestock and Commodity Exposition Competitive Grants provide financial support in the form of premiums or promotional activities to non-profit fairs, expositions and events that promote Michigan livestock and agricultural commodities. To qualify for these grants, events must feature the required number of exhibitors.

Since Fiscal Year 2019, MDARD has awarded more than $8.4 million of grants to support Michigan’s county fairs and expositions. The grants add to more than $250 million of funding MDARD delivered over the past seven years to strengthen Michigan’s food and agriculture industry, enhance agriculture research and education, protect Michigan’s natural resources and build rural infrastructure.

Michigan’s 86 county fairs attract an estimated 4.5 million attendees annually. In addition to providing grant support, MDARD helps ensure the safety and success of Michigan’s county fairs by licensing and inspecting food vendors, performing animal health inspections and delivering educational programming.

Visit MDARD’s grants web page for more information about food and agriculture funding opportunities.

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