Expo 2025 is almost here
By Justin Tiemeyer - Contributing Writer
11 Mar. 2025
The Lowell Community Expo is coming to Lowell High School on Saturday, March 22, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Shannon Kennedy, has shared what is in store for the 2025 event.
“I love the energy surrounding Expo,” Kennedy said. “We fill the high school main hallway, both gyms, and the cafeteria, with over 120 vendors. The vendors are genuinely happy to be there, and it’s a great way to put faces with names. If you’re new to Lowell and wondering how to get plugged in, just visit Expo, and you’ll make some great connections.”
Some vendors have had booths at Expo for years, like Baker Auto Group, who will be set up in the corner of the cafeteria. Baker is going to have six to eight vehicles available on the grass in the commons area, and this location will help them step out to assist anyone looking for a new ride. Charlie Jeffrey is the general manager of both Baker Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM and Baker Buick GMC of Lowell.
“We think it’s a great way to meet our neighbors without the pressure of a car dealership,” Jeffrey said. “Going to Expo is never about selling cars. It’s just about furthering our relationships, being out there, and letting the community know that we are a part of it.” Baker Auto Group joins Lowell Area Schools as the premier sponsors of Expo 2025.
State Farm Agent, Deborah Wilks, will be set up in the entry hallway to greet incoming attendees, as she has for years. Wilks is doing a sucker-pull giveaway where people, who go to her booth, can win prizes based on whether or not their candy sucker has a colored dot on the end. “It’s a great event that our community does,” Wilks said. “I know other communities do it too, but I don’t think anybody does it as well as Lowell.”
In the face of inflation, Wilks acknowledges that insurance has been a difficult business, and the one complaint she hears from people leaving other providers is that they were surprised by a rate increase. Wilks cannot control the economy, but she is proactive, and she always notifies customers of any rate changes, whether increases or decreases.
The Lowell Ledger also spoke to Maria Chichester of Lowell Family Chiropractic. Chichester, who shares her practice with husband Jim, has been at Expo for over 15 years and is usually set up in the cafeteria. Speaking of food, Chichester offered a morsel of advice when it comes to overall health. “You have to start with what you can control,” Chichester said. “and you can control what goes into your body.”
Expo attendees can take advantage of a VIP offer of a free, first visit, including one region of x-rays, and you do not have to be a healthcare professional to know how much that is worth.
Amanda Rogers of Rogers Neighborhood Realty will be set up in the main gymnasium with some new agents in tow. Her booth is easy to find, because it is the only one shaped like a house. Rogers has resources to assist with the residential and commercial real estate needs of her neighbors across West Michigan, but her greatest skill is selling close to home. “I want to primarily focus on Lowell,” Rogers said, “because that’s where I live, and that’s where I volunteer.”
Rogers has been the top-selling residential realtor in the Lowell Area School District for the last five years, and she has been featured in the Grand Rapids Magazine ranking of West Michigan realtors on multiple occasions. At Expo, she will be raffling off a birdfeeder with a camera on it.
While Expo offers opportunities to check in with community mainstays, like Baker Auto Group, Deborah Wilks State Farm Agency, Lowell Family Chiropractic, and Rogers Neighborhood Realty, attendees of the 2025 event can expect some new things, as well. Balls Dogs, the hotdog cart by Balls Softee Crème alum Jim Ball and daughter Sumer Brenner, will be making its first Expo appearance this year. Also, the Lowell Youth Sports Foundation will be hosting a sports equipment swap. LYSF believes that access to gear should not limit access to play, so gently-used sports equipment gifted through March 17 will be available to youths, for free or by donation.
In addition to Balls Dogs, food will be served by both B.C. Pizza and Lowell Area Schools. As for entertainment, attendees can expect Taekwondo demonstrations, performances by LAS jazz bands, LoMi and Verity Ballet dance performances, and more. There are also numerous opportunities to win prizes. By turning your Golden Ticket in at the Arrowhead Golf Course booth, attendees can win LowellBucks$, which are redeemable at more than 60 Lowell area businesses, and there will be a gift basket raffle each hour from business sponsors such as Herbruck’s, Greenridge Realty, Hulst Jepsen Physical Therapy, Adventures by Lori, and PFCU.
“It takes many hands to run Expo,” Kennedy said. Kennedy noted that volunteering at Expo is a great way to gain community service hours for college and trade school applications. The Chamber is looking for students to help with teardown at the end of the day, on Saturday, and LYSF needs student athletes to assist with equipment swap setup on Friday, shifts during Expo, and teardown. Interested students may contact info@lowellchamber.org to learn more about volunteering at Expo.
Kennedy has also invited attendees to stop by the Chamber booth for a first look at Lowell’s new slogan, logo, and community-wide marketing campaign.
