Attending county fairs, festivals or events with a purpose

Michelle Neff<hydemich@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Summertime is a great time to visit your local county fairs and festivals in Michigan. The next time you visit, think about going with a purpose to learn and enjoy.

Across Michigan, there are many county fairs, festivals and events taking place this summer. These events are a big draw to some communities and help local businesses with economic growth and exposure. Overall, these festivities take a lot of time planning, organizing and implementing for the community to enjoy.

As a parent or community member interested in attending one of these events, it is important to go with a purpose to have fun, learn something new and enjoy the opportunities offered.

Learn something new

How do we learn something new at these events? The first thing is to ask questions. Maybe you are interacting with a vendor and want to learn more about their product or are curious about an animal. The first way to learn is to ask questions and be open minded to new ideas.

The second way to help learn is to observe things happening around you. There might be some different type of demonstrations or shows. Many times, people are sharing a skill through demonstration. Once you have observed, this is a great time to learn more by asking questions.

Enjoy the experience and have fun

Event planners and organizers want everyone that comes to their event to have fun and enjoy their experience. A few things that will help is to come with an attitude of enjoyment. Another thing to think about is coming with the skill of patience. Many events draw many people and it is important to be curious when looking at things and interacting with fellow event goers.

Helping children enjoy events and festival takes a little pre-planning. Try to avoid going during naptime; this will allow your child to be in a good attitude while visiting shows or events. Also, make sure youth have sunscreen protection and a snack or water. Many times, these festivals and events are in the hottest days of summer and it is not fun when children or adults are miserable due to heat and exhaustion. Therefore, with a little pre-planning, these events can be fun as well.

Take time in the summer to get out and explore the many different fairs, festivals and events across the state. If you fall in love with one, finds ways to get involved by either volunteering, becoming a vendor or just returning as a happy community member.

Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan 4-H Youth Program partner with many county fairs and festivals around Michigan. Feel free to stop, say hi and ask some questions.

For more information on fairs, festivals and events in Michigan, see “Find a local Michigan event and go with your family” by MSU Extension.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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