The Grand Agricultural Center of West Michigan south of Lowell. (Courtesy)
LOWELL TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A celebration this week will mark the opening of a new agricultural facility that will host the Kent County Youth Fair and aims to draw people from around the state to the Lowell area.
The ribbon-cutting for The Grand Agricultural Center of West Michigan on Cascade Road near Pratt Lake Avenue south of Lowell is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Dubbed the Grand, the facility will house the Kent County Youth Fair — which runs July 30 to Aug. 5 this year — and will host agricultural and equestrian shows, plus welcome school field trips, throughout the year. Organizers said only two other sites in Michigan can offer the same.
“The Grand is an amazing addition to the Lowell community and our entire state,” Mark Anderson, a Lowell Township trustee and business owner who co-chaired the committee to build The Grand, said in a statement. “The Grand will become a premiere destination, drawing visitors from around the region, across the state, and throughout the Midwest, especially for large agricultural shows and equestrian competitions.”
The Kent County Youth Agricultural Association bought the land for The Grand in 2018 after outgrowing its headquarters in Lowell. The first buildings to open include two horse barns, an outdoor horse arena, a covered show pavilion, a practice horse arena, three livestock barns and primitive campsites. More buildings will open later.
The ribbon-cutting will include a family friendly toast with milk and be followed by an ice cream social.
