Husband Calling was big competition during the early years of the Ionia Fair!  Below you'll find some interesting information about one of the oldest, and largest Fairs in the United States today.  We hope you enjoy it!

In 1915 then Mayor of Ionia, and soon to be Governor of Michigan, Fred W. Green presented his plans for a "free fair" to be held in Ionia that same year.  Unlike it's predecessor, the Ionia District Fair, patrons could come and visit merchant displays, watch the horse pulls, see daring Arial displays and have a great time, all for FREE!  This was a new concept in the Fair world, and the Ionia Free Fair was off to a slow, but steady rise to stardom!

In the 1920's the Ionia Free Fair grew into one of the largest Fairs in the state, second only to the Michigan State Fair.  New buildings were being built every year to accommodate the growing need of the Fair.  Almost all of the current buildings were built during this 10 year time period, including the current grandstand, which saw itself a continuous stream of growth.

1930 was a rough year, most Fairs in the state saw their end.  The Ionia Free Fair however was still going strong and planning for another record breaking year, even though it would only be in attendance.  The rest of the decade however would  

In 1940 and 1941 the fair continued to grow in attendance, despite the War in Europe.  1942 however saw a decline in attendance, and the 1943 and 1944 Ionia Free Fairs were cancelled.  With things going well for the USA in 1945, and Germany falling in the spring, the Ionia Free Fair was a go for sure.  Although attendance fell short from the 1942 fair, the Ionia Free Fair was back and ready to prove why it was the "World's Largest Free Fair".

Public Weddings were very popular during the early years of the Ionia Fair!  Pictured to the right is one of those couples lucky enough to be married during the fair! The Ionia Free Fair continued to provide patrons with stars of screen and stage, plus thrills of all kinds, for the next 56 years.  The place to go in the summer for top name entertainment and a great time for the family was the Ionia Free Fair.  Having a no gate admission policy made it the last of it's kind (that we know of) in 2001,

when due to financial reasons, the Ionia Fair Association Board made a decision to begin charging gate admission.  The name of the new fair would become the "Greater" Ionia Fair! With a $4.00 Adult, and $2.00 Student gate admission fee (which was still lower than most any fair around) 2002 Ionia Fair patrons were treated to one of the largest carnival midways in the USA.  Strates Midway, the last carnival to arrive at the Ionia Free Fair by train in 1962, returned after 40 years to the Ionia Fair once more by train!  2002 & 2003 Fair goers were also treated to FREE NIGHTLY CONCERTS by well known artists such as Darryl Worley, John Berry, Mitch Ryder, Lonnie Brooks and Da Yoopers! The 2003 Ionia Fair saw almost $200,000 in revenue from the gate fees.

Despite the extra revenue from gate admissions, Ionia Fair board members felt compelled to listen to the community, and take another look at the idea of an admission charge. Ionia has always been know for it's FREE Fair, and the board decided to put the fate of the Ionia Fair back into the hands of the community for the 2004 season. Next year Ionia will once again host the largest FREE Fair in the country! Plans are under way now for utilizing volunteers and community support to sustain this icon for future generations to enjoy. Contact the Ionia Fair office today if you would like more information on getting your group involved with putting the FREE back in Fair!