MDARD Announces New Water Infrastructure Grant Opportunity for County Fairs

Proposals due June 15, 2026 at 5 p.m.

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced a new County Fairs Water Infrastructure Capital Improvement Grant Program to help enhance water systems at county fairgrounds across the state. Eligible county fairs may apply for the new grants via the MiAgGrants web portal by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, June 15, 2026.

"Michigan's county fairs are more than events - they are longstanding traditions that celebrate our agricultural heritage, support local businesses and improve quality of life in our state," said MDARD Director Tim Boring. "These new grants will support county fairs as they continue investing in infrastructure that provides safe, clean drinking water and reliable wastewater systems for millions of visitors and livestock each year."

The County Fairs Water Infrastructure Capital Improvement Grant Program offers individual awards of up to $100,000 for projects including:

• Water Line Replacement

• Sewage or Septic Upgrades

• Well Drilling

• Municipal Hookups

• Filtration Systems

• Upgrades to Animal Watering Systems

• Water Storage Capabilities

To be eligible for this grant program, prospective applicants must:

• Be a fair incorporated under Act 80 of 1855, or  

• Be a county owned and operated fair operating under Act 11 of 1929, and  

• Have submitted to MDARD all required year-end reports for the prior three years.

County fairs who lease their grounds also must have a minimum five-year lease to use the grounds for their annual fair and other non-fair events. Visit MDARD's County Fairs Water Infrastructure Improvement Grants web page for additional information and eligibility requirements.

According to the Michigan Association of Fairs and Exhibitions, Michigan's 86 county fairs attract more than 4.5 million attendees annually. MDARD's new County Fairs Infrastructure Capital Improvement Grants build on two other MDARD grant programs that have delivered more than $7.9 million since 2019 to help county fairs build grandstands, livestock barns and other infrastructure.

For instructions on how to submit grant applications via the MiAgGrants portal, visit the MiAgGrants web page.

For information about additional funding opportunities, visit MDARD's grant web page.  

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