Despite Rain, Residents Turn Out for Grain Valley Fair

Rain threatened to dampen the fun at the annual Grain Valley Fair last weekend, but residents turned out in force for the parade, 5K, and various activities at the fairgrounds. Mayor Mike Todd and the Fair committee were pleased with the results.

“Despite the rain it went pretty well. We were really impressed with how many people toughed the parade out once it started raining. We thought we were going to be clear for the parade, but it popped up on us a bit,” Todd said.

Saturday morning’s festivities began with a 5K run/walk through Grain Valley. This is the first year for the event, which attracted approximately 167 registrants.

The rain held off for the 5K, but returned for the Noon parade. The weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants or spectators who lined the streets to view parade entries.

FOCUS for Grain Valley offered Bingo at the Community Center on Friday evening and in two sessions on Saturday, and over 100 vendors lined the tents and fairgrounds behind the Community Center.

Drone racing, a petting zoo, and cornhole tournament provided additional entertainment.

The popular Baby and Toddler Contest was held again this year to raise funds for the Grain Valley Fair scholarship.

The winners of this year’s contest included: 0-6 months: Lucas Cooley 6 months - 12 months: Avery Young 12 months - 2 years: JoAnna Porter 2 years- 4 years: Aiden Kurth

Several bands were featured throughout the fair, with a capacity crowd enjoying music and the beer garden on Saturday evening.

“The bands seemed to be a big hit as well. It was standing room only for portions of Saturday night so we will definitely have to look at adding some more seating for next year,” Todd said.

Additional information on the Fair and photos from the 2018 event can be found at www.grainvalleyfair.com and on their Facebook page (@grainvalleyfair).