Lowell — If you want to raise kids with grit, confidence, and a solid work ethic, forget the sticker charts and parenting experts—just put them in the youth fair.
For 90 years, the Kent County Youth Fair has been a hands-on training ground for life. Rooted in 4-H values (head, heart, hands, and health) it began in 1935 as a showcase for local agriculture. Since becoming an open fair in the 1990s, it now welcomes youth from across Michigan and beyond, including independent exhibitors who aren’t part of a formal 4-H club.
“We started back in 1935 as a showcase for agriculture,” says Bill Zaske, board president of the Kent County Youth Fair. “People were getting away from farms and moving to cities, and the local farmers wanted to show off what they could do. It gives kids an opportunity to show their leadership skills, that grit, that resilience—it all gets baked into it.”
The fair is held at the Grand Agricultural Center in Lowell and draws more than 900 youth exhibitors each year. About 65% are from Kent County, while the rest travel from surrounding counties and out of state. Whether they’re showing animals, competing in robotics, performing arts, or displaying still exhibits, the fair serves as a launchpad for growth far beyond ribbons and trophies.
“Youth fair is all about educating them, preparing them for the future,” says Mary Crosby, a longtime exhibitor manager and parent. “If you’re raising an animal for a few months—or year-round, which many of these kids do—it becomes a yearlong project. As a parent, it was the best teaching tool I could find. They learn time management, problem solving, finance… and when they grow up, they have those skills.”
Sixteen-year-old Ezra Noble has been showing poultry for most of his life. He’s homeschooled, he works, and he fits in daily care of his birds around it all. “You gotta take care of your bird all year, practice, and know showmanship,” he said.
During the week of the fair, the lessons become visible in action. Kids as young as 5 are independently caring for animals, hauling buckets, prepping pens, and heading to early morning showings. All without parents hovering or reminding them what to do.
“It gives them confidence and independence,” said Lindsey Scudder, a veterinarian and mom who grew up showing at the fair. “Putting my kids in it was nonnegotiable. I wanted the same life for them,” she shared while walking her 6-year-old to show his chicken. “He’s learning public speaking, how to talk to adults, like the judges. They also do service projects and volunteer work that gives them a sense of giving back and gratitude for the privilege of participating.”
For many families, fair life is a generational tradition. “I’ve been here since I was a baby, showing since I was 5,” said Elayna Hawkins, standing beside her grand champion heifer. “It gives you so many valuable life lessons. It helps you stay calm, teaches you discipline. You’re up every morning at 5:30, even if you didn’t go to sleep until midnight the night before.”
Behind every animal is at least a year of feeding, training, and problem-solving, and the kind of growth you can’t replicate with sticker charts, reward apps, or the latest parenting trend.
“We’re the Kent County Youth Fair for a reason,” said Zaske. “We put ‘youth’ in our name because we want to bring up the next generation. And we’ve been doing that for 90 years, and we’ll keep doing it for another 90. We’ll just keep that rolling.
Emily Richett is a mom of four, former news reporter, podcaster, and author of “Mama Bear Survival.”
