KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI — What does a successful county fair look like?

That’s the question elected county officials are trying to answer as they discuss reestablishing the fair after its offerings dwindled in recent years.

“I think 40,000 people the first year would be a success,” Commissioner John Taylor said at the Oct. 21 Board of Commissioners meeting. “You’re going to need rides and food vendors to do that.”

While there was no county fair in 2025, there was a scaled-down version of it in August, billed as the Kalamazoo County 4-H Showcase.

The fair is traditionally held at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St. in Kalamazoo Township. The Kalamazoo County Fair dates back to 1846, per county records.

Since the county took over running the fair in 2013, it has operated at a d

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