Michigan fair officials, youth ask subcommittee to restore $500,000 for county fair capital grant

Representatives of the Michigan Association of Fairs and Exhibitions and two Future Farmers of America students told the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Natural Resources on May 21, 2025, that county fairgrounds provide year‑round community services and emergency staging and asked lawmakers to fund the county fair capital improvement competitive matching grant at $500,000 in the next state budget.

The request matters because the grant, officials said, helps fairs of all sizes make electrical upgrades, improve campgrounds and buildings, and expand accessibility — work that supports community events, emergency response and youth development across Michigan.

Lisa Reif, interim executive director of the Michigan Association of Fairs and Exhibitions, told the committee the association has existed since 1885 and that fairs host about 4,500,000 attendees annually, “which is about half the population of the state.” She described the county fair capital improvement grant as a competitive, matching line item that allows both large and small fairs to apply for capital projects such as electrical upgrades, campground updates, building improvements and accessibility work. Reif asked the committee to support “the governor's recommendation amount of 500,000” for the next budget round.

Reif said fairgrounds also serve outside of fair week, hosting events such as weddings, antique festivals and camping rallies. She cited emergency uses, saying the Otsego County Fairgrounds “was a storm camp for over a thousand crew members for Great Lakes Energy as they restored power after the devastating ice storms,” and noted fairgrounds supported food distribution and other activities during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Two FFA students who testified described the fairs’ role in youth development. Jessica Peters identified herself as a junior member of the Eastern Michigan State Fair board, past president of the Lapeer County FFA and the incoming 2025–26 Michigan FFA state reporter. Peters said she is a first‑generation exhibitor who joined FFA because of fairs and credited the experience with giving her community ties and leadership skills. Shelby Howell, an exhibitor at the Eastern Michigan State Fair and past Lapeer County FFA sentinel who said she will attend Michigan State University this fall, said proceeds from livestock sales have helped fund her education and other life goals: “Without that kind of funding from my animals, I'm not gonna be a Michigan State.”

Committee members discussed trends and challenges for fairs. Representative Roth and others said some smaller counties are pulling back on nonlivestock programming. Reif told members that entertainment and carnival operations have changed over the last 20 years and that the pandemic led to the loss of some carnival operators because of large capital and labor requirements. Reif said many fairs are refocusing on their agricultural roots as a primary public touchpoint with agriculture.

Reps asked for more detail about economic impacts and participation. Reif supplied a statewide participation figure of about 45,000 young people who take part in fairs and exhibitors’ programs, and described how fairs create fundraising opportunities for local nonprofits, bands and youth organizations.

The subcommittee took no formal vote on the funding request during the hearing. The only recorded formal action was Representative Roth’s motion, made and approved without objection at the start of the meeting, to approve the minutes of 05/14/2025.

Committee members thanked the witnesses for attending and for youth testimony; no follow‑up assignments or votes on the grant were recorded in the transcript.