Staying Close to Home This Summer? Looking for Family-Friendly Ideas? Michigan Dairy Expo, Ag Expo Offer Something for Everyone -- and It’s Free!
7/8/09
Contact: Sara Long
517-432-1555, ext. 170
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Families seeking an educational, fun and free way to spend the day together close to home need to look no farther than the Michigan State University (MSU) campus. For the cost of a tank of gas from most areas of Michigan’s lower peninsula, families can experience two Michigan traditions this July.
Michigan Dairy Expo runs from July 20-24 at the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education in East Lansing. The state’s largest dairy event, Michigan Dairy Expo runs concurrently with Ag Expo, the state’s largest agricultural equipment show. Ag Expo, now in its 30th year, takes place July 21-23. Shuttle buses are available to transport visitors between the two shows.
More than 400 dairy animals will be exhibited by more than 200 exhibitors during the five-day Michigan Dairy Expo, but the main highlight for families, daycare providers and summer camp participants will be the 12th annual Great Dairy Adventure on July 22.
Participants will enjoy a range of fun activities all while learning about the dairy industry, from petting baby calves to milking a cow by hand to experimenting with dairy recipes to eating free ice cream and dairy treats. This consumer education day takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No preregistration is required.
In addition, children will also have a chance to meet kids their own age who are raising dairy animals as a 4-H project and competing in various contests and activities throughout the week as part of the largest youth dairy event in the state.
Great Dairy Adventure participants will leave with a better understanding of the process milk and dairy products follow from the cow on the farm to the shelves in the grocery store refrigerator. They will discover the nutritional benefits of consuming milk and dairy products, in addition to creating lifelong memories that can only be acquired through hands-on activities.
Great Dairy Adventure participants are invited to add one more stop to their day – traveling across the street to see Ag Expo. Visitors to Ag Expo will have a variety of fun activities from which to choose, from ride-and-drive demonstrations for tractors, articulating wheel loaders, skid steers and zero-turn mowers to eating birthday cake, downing free MSU Dairy Store ice cream and completing age-appropriate crafts in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources tent. They can also witness an automated (robotic) milking system in action and watch a chainsaw artist complete his latest masterpiece.
There is no charge to attend Michigan Dairy Expo, the Great Dairy Adventure or Ag Expo. Free parking is available and a free shuttle is available between Michigan Dairy Expo and Ag Expo.
For more information on Ag Expo, visit www.agexpo.msu.edu.
For more information on Michigan Dairy Expo and the Great Dairy Adventure, please visit http://michigandairyexpo.com .
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