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Study recommends a smaller, agriculture-focused Kalamazoo County Fair with 4-H showcase and Saturday family day
Summary
A consultant hired by Kalamazoo County recommends a 2026 event that centers on a 4-H showcase and a one-day county family festival, citing limited public demand, lack of nonprofit operators and county staffing constraints for a large-scale carnival-style fair.
A consultant’s feasibility study and strategic plan presented to the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 7 recommends reestablishing a focused, agriculture-oriented county fair that centers on the county’s 4-H program rather than reinstating a large carnival and evening-entertainment model.
Dr. Lori Mitchell Dixon, lead consultant for Great Lakes Marketing and Research, told commissioners the data show three roughly equal preferences among 4-H families—showcase-only, carnival-only, or either—but the broader community’s interest in attending a full-scale, carnival-style county fair is modest. “The data strongly suggest that the features of this event include an emphasis on animal exhibits and competitions for the 4-H families, educational offerings and food trucks,” she said.
The study found the 2024 showcase performed well for youth exhibitors but that the add-on, ticketed carnival features and some evening events did not consistently attract volunteers, vendors or attendees. Attendance modeling estimated about 18% of county residents would definitely attend a properly promoted fair; the consultant said that figure, combined with the county’s lack of a nonprofit operator and limited parks staffing, argued for a scaled event.
Key findings and recommendations:
- Preserve the 4-H showcase as the core event: 4-H families reported the highest priority for animal exhibits and youth competitions. The consultant recommended continuing MSU Extension’s leadership of the showcase.
- Create a single “Saturday family day”: Instead of a full multi-night carnival, design a family-oriented Saturday with food trucks, demonstrations, interactive youth activities and safe, lower-cost attractions aligned with the research-supported price point (about $25 per adult and $20 per child for a day out).
- Do not assume a private nonprofit operator is available: Study authors reported queries to potential nonprofit and private operators found no organization ready to take full responsibility for a large-scale fair even with county-supported startup subsidies; two Michigan counties (Jackson and Ingham) run large county fairs with substantial county staff support and multi-million-dollar budgets.
- Address infrastructure and safety issues before scale-up: The grandstands at the fairgrounds are “not up to code,” and stakeholders flagged security concerns at large events; both would require substantial capital investment.
Parks Director Dave Rakowitz said the county’s 2025 contribution for the showcase was about $205,777 and that the Parks Division lacks resources and a permanent governance structure to operate a large fair. Commissioners were split in reaction. Commissioner Taylor said he wants a larger fair in the long term and expressed frustration that the county remains where it was a year earlier in finding a partner to run a larger event, while others said the study provided a realistic path forward and emphasized prioritizing agricultural heritage and youth programming.
Next steps recommended by the consultant include convening a workshop with the Fair Advisory Council, MSU Extension and parks leadership to finalize format and county funding levels, revisiting the 2022 fair strategic plan, and continuing the Fair Advisory Council with clearer roles and reporting through MSU Extension.
