Holmes County launches $2.3 million campaign for Harvest Ridge expansion

Holmes County has opened a $2.3 million capital campaign to add to Harvest Ridge Expo Center, a move leaders say could bring more arena space, more event traffic and more spending into the county if the project reaches its goal by the 2027 fair.

The addition is expected to expand the venue’s use beyond livestock and fair activities. Plans call for space that can handle meetings, reunions, weddings and other gatherings, turning Harvest Ridge into an even larger year-round draw for Millersburg and the rest of Holmes County.

That matters because Harvest Ridge is already one of the county’s biggest gathering places. The climate-controlled complex offers more than 70,000 square feet of space, along with multiple buildings, meeting rooms, exhibition areas, full-hookup camping sites and onsite parking. It has become a home for large events that bring farmers, families and exhibitors through the site in all seasons.

One of those events is the Ag-Pro Expo, which has repeatedly filled the grounds with John Deere equipment, training sessions, and breakfast and lunch for the farming community. For local businesses, that kind of traffic can mean fuller restaurants, more fuel sales, more hotel stays and a bigger spotlight on Holmes County as an event destination.

The fair site also carries a longer mission. The Holmes County Fair at Harvest Ridge is one of the few remaining fairs without open exhibition livestock shows, keeping the emphasis on local 4-H and FFA youth. The 2026 Holmes County Fair is scheduled for Aug. 10-15, giving the campaign a firm timeline heading into a year when the fair will mark its 100th anniversary.

The expansion builds on years of planning at the fairgrounds. Early design work in 2012 called for a 60,000-square-foot expo center and a 36,000-square-foot show barn, and the fairboard’s move to Harvest Ridge required utilities and structures to be gradually removed from the old fairgrounds.

The county has already seen that fundraising can move projects forward. In 2022, the Holmes County Fair Board received a $200,000 legacy gift from the Carl and Florence Maurer estate for a planned small-animal livestock and show arena, a project that had been preliminarily estimated at more than $1 million. That earlier gift underscored how donors have helped shape Harvest Ridge into a broader community asset, and the new campaign now asks Holmes County to back the next phase.