[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 127 (Friday, August 2, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING 170 YEARS OF THE INGHAM COUNTY FAIR

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                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 2024

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I honor and celebrate the 170th 
anniversary of the Ingham County Fair, a staple of the community and an 
annual celebration of the best Michigan has to offer.
  The Ingham County Agricultural Society held the first Ingham County 
Fair in 1855 in Mason. It began as a ``free street fair'' held at the 
Court House Square and since then has had several different homes. In 
fact, the fair was so popular in its first year that the following 
year, the Agricultural Society purchased a four-acre plot of land in 
Vevay Township to host the annual event. The fair stayed there until 
1871, when it once again needed to find a larger venue and was moved to 
a plot of land on the corner of Jefferson Street and Kipp Road. 
Finally, in 1930, the Ingham County Road Commission purchased the land 
off Ash Street in Mason, which remains the fairgrounds' home today.
  Each year, the Ingham County Fair hosts a wide variety of activities 
that cater to a diverse range of interests. While some people may 
attend for the carnival rides, others spend all year preparing for the 
shows and competitions the fair hosts. For example, it partners with 
the Ingham County Junior Livestock Association to provide kids and 
young adults the opportunity to showcase their projects in areas of 
science, health, and agriculture. The fair also hosts animal auctions 
that give young people experience showing and selling livestock--skills 
that are becoming harder and harder to foster in an online world. 
Educational opportunities such as these are essential to our 
communities and are just one of the many reasons why the Ingham County 
Fair is so special.
  In 2009, the Ingham County Fair Foundation was established to support 
and enhance the fairgrounds to serve agricultural, business, cultural, 
educational, recreational, urban and youth interests of Ingham County. 
Most recently, the Fair Foundation has focused on raising funds to 
build a new grandstand, which hosts widely-attended events including 
demolition derbies, truck and tractor pulls and mud drag racing. The 
first grandstand was constructed in 1939, providing covered seating for 
all events on the fairgrounds. Unfortunately, it was torn down in 2015 
due to structural issues and since then, the Fairgrounds has rented 
portable seating solutions that do not meet the demand. To put it 
simply: the grandstand is the pulse of events at the fairgrounds, and 
this is why community members have come together to build a new one. I 
was happy to assist in that mission by securing $2.5 million in 
Community Project Funding and I cannot wait to see the many ways it 
will serve as a place for folks across the state to come together to 
enjoy all that the Fairgrounds have to offer.
  It is with great pride that I honor the Ingham County Fair's 170 
years of providing enjoyment, education, and community. May the Fair 
continue to serve as a highlight of the summer for many more years to 
come.

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