The 90th annual Kent County Youth Fair featured a number of great ways to beat the heat at Grand Agricultural Center of West Michigan

By Justin Tiemeyer - Contributing writer

8/9/2024

The Kent County Youth Fair celebrated its 90th annual fair at the Grand Agricultural Center of West Michigan, on Cascade Road in Lowell Charter Township, from Monday, July 29 through Saturday, August 3, 2024.

The event did see the occasional rain showers, but not nearly as many as forecasted. The predominant weather pattern for 2024’s youth fair was hot with a side of humid. Fortunately, the Grand Agricultural Center was prepared, with powerful industrial fans inside each of its barns. If it was 90 degrees and sunny while walking through the midway, the barn interior suggested a constant “cool with a chance of showers” forecast instead.

The Kent County Youth Fair migrated from Recreation Park and Fairgrounds, in the City of Lowell, to Grand Agricultural Center in Lowell Township in 2023. With the installation of the brand-new fans during the hottest August on record, it felt more like fate than coincidence to some fair attendees.

The new location, sitting as it does on 140 acres formerly occupied by a golf course, effectively eliminates parking problems. Since the move, this has also reduced traffic congestion in the City of Lowell, during the first week of August, each year. On the flip side, some neighbors have reported that they do not feel as compelled to attend fair since the move, citing “out of sight, out of mind.”

Those who attended this year’s Kent County Youth Fair shared generally positive reviews, however, with some of the most positive reviews coming from those who showed rabbits, ducks, chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs, sheep, and horses at fair. There is more to the new barns at Grand Agricultural Center than heavy duty fans, including more space for animals, better upkeep facilities, and better stages to show animals. Many of these kids spend the whole week at the fairgrounds, and with expanded parking, cooler barns, and better access to amenities, the new Youth Fair was a huge success for its primary audience.

There were a number of rides adjacent to the parking lot, from portable roller coasters and carousels to a couple of variations of fun houses. Some folks were concerned about the price of wristbands that offered children unlimited rides for the day, especially as Kent District Library’s Reading for Rides program was only able to offer discounted, not free, wristbands, but this is likely just the cost of inflation working its way even into fair. As a best practice for future Kent County Youth Fairs, it is recommended to survey the height requirements on rides before committing to wristbands, as some riders may need an adult to accompany them on their preferred rides.

Early in the week, a bit of a scare arose when folks were warned not to purchase food and drinks with credit or debit cards. Two attendees reported that their credit card information had been copied and used for online purchases. At this time, it is unclear whether any of the vendors were involved or if this was an instance of an attendee snapping pictures of other attendees’ credit cards. Needless to say, those who brought cash to the event did not report any issues.

All in all, it would be fair-ly easy to attend Kent County Youth Fair and experience all up side with no down side. Easy parking, cool barns, and ample space made the 90th annual Kent County Youth Fair a great experience for anyone who made the drive out to the country-adjacent Grand Agricultural Center of West Michigan, on Cascade Road in Lowell Charter Township.