Monroe County Fairgrounds facts for kids
The Glenn F. Stock Arena
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| Address | 3775 S Custer Rd |
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| Location | Monroe, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 41°55′46.9344″N 83°27′42.4296″W / 41.929704000°N 83.461786000°W |
| Owner | Monroe County Agricultural Society |
| Type | Fairground, Convention center |
| Capacity | 2,000 (Glenn F. Stock Arena) |
| Opened | 1948 |
The Monroe County Fairgrounds in Monroe County, Michigan is a big place with many buildings. It's where the yearly Monroe County Fair happens, bringing lots of fun and excitement to the community. People also use the fairgrounds for many other events throughout the year.
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History of the Fairgrounds
The idea for the Monroe County Fair started a long time ago, in 1849. Back then, the fair didn't have a permanent home. It wasn't until 1948 that the fairgrounds moved to its current location. The county owns all 120 acres of land. It leases this land to the fair association for a very long time, 99 years!
In 1952, something really cool happened at the fairgrounds. A special race track, a half-mile dirt oval, hosted a NASCAR Cup Series event. This was a big deal for racing fans! A famous driver named Tim Flock won that race. He even went on to win the championship that year.
Exploring the Fairgrounds Facilities
The Monroe County Fairgrounds has several important buildings and areas. These facilities host everything from concerts to animal shows.
Glenn F. Stock Arena: A Hub for Events
The Glenn F. Stock Arena is a large indoor building at the fairgrounds. It has about 2,000 seats for people to watch events. This arena is a busy place! It hosts many different activities like sports games, live concerts, and big meetings called conventions. High school graduation ceremonies for Monroe County students also take place here.
The arena is quite large inside. It is about 174 feet wide and 252 feet long. The ceiling is 40 feet high. While it's a big arena, it's not the largest in all of Michigan. However, it is the biggest arena in Monroe County. It's also the largest in the northern suburbs of Toledo, Ohio.
Inside the arena, there's a strong pipe fence that separates the audience from the main floor. This helps keep everyone safe during events. There's also a special wireless sound system. This system can be used both inside and outside the building.
Other Fun Fairground Spots
Besides the Stock Arena, the Monroe County Fairgrounds has many other useful facilities:
- The First Merchants Bank Expo Center is a huge building. It has 27,000 square feet of space for exhibits.
- There are two other buildings and a special arena for showing livestock (farm animals). Each of these has 7,200 square feet of space.
- The Far West Building offers 4,800 square feet for various activities.
- The 4H Craft Building is 2,400 square feet. It's a great place for young people to show off their crafts.
- Two horse rings are available for horse shows and events. There are also 270 stalls for horses.
- A large grandstand can seat 9,000 people. It's used for exciting auto racing and rodeos.
- The fairgrounds also has enough parking for 4,000 cars.
