'90s Throwback Concert highlights 2024 Lenawee County Fair attractions

ADRIAN — Lenawee County's biggest summer attraction — the Lenawee County Fair — is back, and it includes something it hasn't offered in seven years.

On Tuesday, July 22, the grandstand will be jumping with the fair's ’90s Throwback Concert, featuring hip-hop and R&B artists from Gen X's high school and college days: Tone Loc, Digital Underground, Tag Team, C+C Music Factory and Color Me Badd.

The last concert at the fair's grandstand was country singer Joe Diffie in 2017.

"Every year, that's our biggest question: When are you going to have a concert?" Heather Downs, office manager at the Lenawee County Fair & Event Grounds, said. "So this year, we wanted to try something different and something exciting to try and bring concerts back to the fair."

The fair found this group of artists from the 1990s that is touring, and the fair could choose who to include in the show.

"So we picked this amazing ’90s throwback lineup," she said.

A big challenge for the fair in having a grandstand concert is the cost of bringing in the performers, which includes their payment and the cost of transportation, hotels and food, Downs said. The fair is a nonprofit organization that receives no government funding, unlike some other, nearby county fairs.

If you're trying to place the artists with their biggest hits but you're not quite placing names with tunes — let's face it, Gen X is in or near their 50s now and their memory isn't what it used to be — think back to when MTV still showed music videos and you might recall:

• Tone Loc: "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina."
• Digital Underground: "The Humpty Dance."
• Tag Team: "Whoomp! (There It Is)."
• C+C Music Factory: "Gonna Make You Sweat."
• Color Me Badd: "I Wanna Sex You Up."

Tickets are on sale at www.lenfair.com/tickets and are $45 for general admission in the grandstand, $55 for standing room on the track and $65 for box seats in the grandstand. The ticket price does not include admission to the fair, though packages that include admission are available on the fair's website.

Admission to the fair is $7 daily, and children 9 and younger are free every day. A 7-pak for $35 cash includes seven daily tickets for the price of five and can be used any day. Seniors 65 and older get in for free on Tuesday, and veterans get in for free on Wednesday. Veterans can also bring a guest, such as a spouse, child or caregiver, who will receive free admission, too.

The annual complimentary veterans lunch and program begins at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the bandshell.

The gate hours are 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Another new attraction will be fireworks at dusk Friday, July 26. Downs said the show might begin before the gas and diesel truck pulls finish.

"This the first year we've had fireworks in I don't know how long," she said.

Over the rest of fair week, July 21-27, visitors will find many favorite vendors and activities as well as some new offerings. The schedule of 4-H auctions has been changed, too.

Fair week begins with the parade at 1 p.m. Sunday. It lines up near Thee Old Mill on College Avenue and heads to Maumee Street, then down to Dean Street and the fairgrounds.

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At the grandstand, the Earl Kelley Memorial Tractor Pulls are at 6 p.m. Sunday, the first figure 8 demolition derbies are at 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, the Lost Nations rodeo returns at 7 p.m. Thursday, the gas and diesel truck pulls are at 7 p.m. Friday, and the Tuff Truck & Car Competition is at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for these events are in addition to the fair admission and can be bought at www.lenfair.com/tickets .

A variety of performances headline the bandshell each night, with some returning acts and a couple of performers who are new to the fair. The Queens Pageant is at 7 p.m. Sunday followed by Los Hermanos at 6 p.m. Monday, the Adrian City Band at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Your Generation from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, JTE at 6 p.m. Thursday, The Bennett Hall Band from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Grant Reiff from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Both The Bennett Hall Band, aka TBHB, and Reiff are up-and-coming country acts, Downs said. TBHB features three girls — Kat, Presley and Josie Hope Hall who are 15, 14 and 11, respectively — and the band is named for their late brother, Bennett, who died in 2010, their website says.

At the agriculture education tent, its new manager, Jerry Pape, will have a play yard where goats will be able to frolic along with daily educational programs, baby animals and a farm-themed play area.

The midway rides will have the same schedule as in recent years. The rides will open at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Downs said. That is due to the ride operators having to travel from a fair that has just ended and a rest period that is legally required for safety reasons. Bigrockamusements.com lists all rides available at the fair and the height requirements for each. Ride wristbands also can be purchased there. Wristbands that offer an unlimited number of rides throughout the fair can be purchased for $27 by midnight Monday, July 22. There are other daily specials for unlimited rides, and credits for rides can be purchased at the fair.

Rides open at 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

There will be bounce houses for kids to play in all week.

During Senior Day on Tuesday, there will be senior bingo at 2 p.m. in the 4-H Center with a variety of prizes, not cash, being awarded.

Familiar food vendors will be back, such as Friske Fries and Beach Concessions. Some of the new vendors will be the Petite Fleet, which offers a variety of lemonades; Natalie's Love at 1st Bite, which offers a variety of sandwiches and snacks; and Bussin' Bowls, which is an acai food truck run by Hannah Stepp of Hannah's Hawaiian Shaved Ice. Two new barbecue vendors are Smokin' Steve's BBQ and Smoky D'z BBQ, which will be in the pit area for the grandstand motorsports, Downs said.

4-H supporters will have check their calendars because there's a new schedule for the auctions. The small animal auction will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, the dairy feeder calf and milk auction will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, and the junior livestock auction will be at 5 p.m. Friday. The sale order for the junior livestock auction will be swine, lamb and beef.

Guests will be able to take one of the three, free golf cart courtesy shuttles from the fairgrounds to the parking area. Wagons also will be running from the outer parking areas to the admission gates. Parking at the fairgrounds remains free.

Another comfort feature will be the air-conditioned Agriculture Building where people can go cool off, Downs said.

Unexpected updates

Over the past few weeks, the fairgrounds was hit by vandals. First, part of the grandstands were damaged, then the restrooms at the Kiwanis building. Both have been repaired with support from the community, particularly Adrian Mechanical Services, Maple City Glass, Krieghoff-Lenawee, Lenco Painting and Peerless Supply as well as individual donors, Downs said.

The juveniles who smashed up the restrooms have been caught, Downs said. They were able to get into the fairgrounds while other events were going on and the restrooms were open that weekend.

— Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian .

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: '90s Throwback Concert highlights 2024 Lenawee County Fair attractions