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The Grain Valley Fair kicks off Friday, September 8th and continues through Saturday, September 9th at Armstrong Park. Mayor Mike Todd coordinates the Fair as a member of the Grain Valley Fair Association Board, and is thrilled with this year's lineup and the weather forecast. "Knock on wood the weather looks like a vast improvement over last year. Might even say perfect Fair weather. Since our Fair Association was formed this is the most vendors we have ever had sign up. Lots of crafters and Etsy shop type vendors, which we always get asked for more of. A couple of the bands we have coming you almost always have to pay to see, but thanks to all of our great sponsors the music is all brought to everyone at no cost. Lots of new firsts this year including appearances by both Slugger and KC Wolf," Todd said. This year's Grain Valley Fair Community Parade will be held a bit earlier than usual, with the parade beginning at 10:00am on Saturday. The parade begins at the high school, heads east to march through downtown, taking EE Kirby Road to return to the high school. Streets along the route will be impacted from 9:30am - 11:30am. Below is the schedule of events for this weekend's Fair: Grain Valley Fair 2023 Fair presented by iPlumb KC, McCownGordon Construction, Centerpoint Medical Center, and Missouri Made Marijuana Schedule brought to you by Grain Valley News and University Health Friday September 8th 4:00-9:00 Carnival Midway Open: Fair Grounds Brought to you by OOIDA and Nick Mortallaro State Farm 4:00-9:00 Vendor Booths Open: Fair Grounds Brought to you by McDonald’s of Grain Valley and TempStop 4:00-9:00 Food Truck Alley Open (Fair Grounds) Brought to you by Temp-Con 5:00-10:00 Beer Garden Open (Large Pavilion) Brought to you by MO Country 5:00-8:00 Chapel Hill Rebellion (North Stage of the Pavilion) Brought to you by Nicholls Performance Transmissions 8:30-10:00 Grindstone (East Stage of the Pavilion) Brought to you by Lights Out Window Tint Saturday September 9th 10:00-11:30 Grain Valley Community Parade: Starts at High School Brought to you by Grain Valley News 11:00-9:00 Carnival Midway Open: Fair Grounds Brought to you by Marilyn Jeanne Designs and Alyssa Scholl American Family Insurance 11:00-9:00 Vendor Booths Open: Fair Grounds Brought to you by McDonald’s of Grain Valley and TempStop 11:00-9:00 Food Truck Alley Open (Fair Grounds) Brought to you by Temp-Con 12:00-1:30 Dan Strack and the Pro Pickers East Stage of the Pavilion Brought to you by Blue Springs Marine 12:00-1:30 Slugger (Kansas City Royals Mascot) iPlumb KC Booth Brought to you by iPlumb KC 12:00-10:00 Beer Garden Open (Large Pavilion) Brought to you by MO Country 12:00-4:00 Car Show East and West James Rollo Ballfields Brought to you by noAKA Promotions 1:00-10:30 Fair Shuttle First Baptist Parking Lot/Sni-A-Bar Elementary Parking Lot/Fair Grounds Brought to you by First Baptist Grain Valley 2:00-3:30 Carl Worden Band Main Stage of the Pavilion Brought to you by Grain Valley Culver’s 4:00-5:30 Back Alley Brass Band Main Stage of the Pavilion Brought to you by Grain Valley Price Chopper 5:00-7:00 KC Wolf (Kansas City Chiefs Mascot) iPlumb KC Booth Brought to you by iPlumb KC 5:30-6:15 Mechanical Bull Riding Contest North End of the Pavilion Brought to you by Boot Barn 6:15-7:45 Landslide (Main Stage of the Pavilion) Brought to you by Blue Compass RV 8:30-10:00 Member’s Only Main Stage of the Pavilion Brought to you by Blue Compass RV Thank you to our Partner Sponsors Metropolitan Community College, Star Development, Collision Leaders and St. Mary’s Hospital Trash Services provided by Lies Trash and Junk-Be-Gone UTVs/Golf Carts provided by Dell’s Powersports and Lifted and Lowered Golf Carts Koozies sponsored by State Bank, Eagles Convenient Storage, ICON Grading, KC Cannabis, KAT Excavating, ASI, Re/Max, Ward Development, Edward Jones of Grain Valley, Elliot Glass, Show Me Hydro, Hooker’s Tow, Nicholls Performance Transmissions, and Casey’s General Stores Parade Toss Outs sponsored by Bank of Grain Valley, Nicholls Performance Transmissions, and Lights Out Window Tint   The final First Fridays event for the year will feature several local bands. The August 4th event will be held in downtown Grain Valley from 5-8pm. In addition to the traditional food trucks, entertainment will be provided by Josephine, Time Bandits, and the Good Sam Band. First Fridays events are hosted by the Grain Valley Fair Association in partnership with Downtown Grain Valley, Inc.   The artwork has been hung, the food trucks are scheduled, and downtown businesses are ready to welcome guests for the first First Fridays event of the year on Friday, May 5th from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. The Grain Valley Fair Association is continuing the popular Food Truck Friday events, focusing on just the first Fridays in 2023 rather than a weekly event. This year's events will be held May 5th, June 2nd, July 7th, August 4th, and then during the Grain Valley Fair on September 8th and 9th. All events, with the exception of the Grain Valley Fair, will be held in downtown Grain Valley, with a different theme planned for each month. On May 5th, an Art Walk is planned, featuring artwork from student artists displayed in participating downtown businesses. In addition to the food trucks and Art Walk, collaborative art activities and vendors will be on site, and several local businesses and restaurants will be open for dining and entertainment options. The Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce will welcome two new businesses, The Patel Group and Iron Courtyard, with ribbon cuttings beginning at The Patel Group's new offices at 4:00pm. Mayor Mike Todd said the Grain Valley Fair Association board partnered with the newly formed Downtown Grain Valley, Inc. to add to the successful Food Truck Fridays events and support downtown revitalization efforts. "We are looking forward to a really great time. With the help of Downtown Grain Valley working with the Grain Valley Fair, we are going to have a great event. Theming each First Friday this year is a great addition. I have seen all the art for the Art Walk this Friday and to say we have some talented artists in our school system is an understatement. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised at the talent that is on display from early childhood up to the high school," Todd said. After months of planning, the Grain Valley Fair and Community Parade will be held this wekeend, Friday, September 9th and Saturday, September 10th behind the Grain Valley Community Center. The fun begins at 4:00pm on Friday, as the carnival midway and vendor booths open. The Beer Garden opens at 5:00pm, with bands beginning at 5:30pm through 11:00pm. The Grain Valley Community Parade will begin at 2:00pm on Saturday. The parade begins at Grain Valley High School, heads east to Main, travels down Main to Walnut, follows Walnut to Kirby and heads back to the high school. Judging will take place along Main Street, with winners announced Saturday evening. A full schedule of events is provided below. Additional details can be found at www.grainvalleyfair.org or the Grain Valley Fair page on Facebook.   With fall just around the corner, plans for the Grain Valley Fair are coming together. The Fair will be held on the grounds behind Armstrong Park and the Community Center on Friday, September 9th and Saturday, September 10th. The Grain Valley Fair Community Parade will begin at 2:00pm on Saturday, September 10th. Joe's Old Fashioned Family Fun Carnival will return again this year, and plans to bring two new rides, including a ferris wheel. The carnival also plans to include photo booths, and will be able to accept credit/debit cards along with cash for carnival tickets. MO Country will be running the Beer Garden and plan to expand on the selection offered in the past. According to Fair board member Mike Todd, there will be plenty of food options for fair goers. "Food Truck Alley will be full of some of our favorite trucks from Food Truck Friday, plus Burger Barn from Crossroads Church, and Joeshmoes will be partnering with First Baptist Church to bring some goodies. In addition to a variety of crafts and vendors, a full weekend of entertainment is planned. "We have a great music selection both Friday and Saturday including bringing back music all day long on Saturday this year. Great local bands including Grindstone and Dan Strack and the Pro Pickers. Plus, top regional acts The Steve Miller Experience, Poison Overdose, and Almost Kiss in full makeup," Todd said. For more information on the Grain Valley Fair, visit http://www.grainvalleyfair.org or follow the Fair on Facebook (@grainvalleyfair). 
The 2021 Grain Valley Fair is in the books, and I have to say that it was a great one. We loved seeing the large crowds come out and all the smiling faces having a good time after having to take 2020 off. We were a bit rusty getting it all together, but with the help from a lot of people and the support of our great sponsors I think it was great. We are already looking forward to 2022 and will work to make it even better. Make sure to follow us on Facebook at Grain Valley Fair because we will be looking for suggestions for music for next year and any Fair info is always found first there. We do want to thank the following people who volunteered to help us at the Fair or in the planning process: Steve, Carol, Tosha, and Harper Todd Tasha, Matt, and Matthew Lindsey Scott Shafer Lynn and David Berend Darren Mills Cory Unrein Brian Schoonover Justin Tyson and all the Grain Valley Parks and Recreation Staff, Public Works Staff, and Police Department who helped throughout. We also do not want to forget all our great sponsors who make everything possible with their support: City of Grain Valley Broadway Smiles Dental T-Mobile Drew’s Diesel KC Cannabis ASI St. Mary’s Hospital MO Country Valley News State Bank Grain Valley Price Chopper OOIDA KAT Excavation Spire HCA CenterPoint Hospital Keeports Remodel beHome EKC Cross Baseball Sheet Metal Workers Show-Me Hydro Kohl’s Distribution Center Nick Mortallaro State Farm Grain Valley Edward Jones Big O’s Rental Blue Moon Lounge Star Development University Health Truman Medical Centers Casey’s General Stores Metropolitan Community Colleges Finally, we want to thank all of our vendors and food trucks for coming out to make it all a big success. With all of these great things going on we go through a lot of trash and Lies is there every step to help us out with their continued support. See everyone stating on September 9th 2022.  The Grain Valley Fair will be held at Armstrong Park on September 10th and 11th, with the community parade held downtown on Saturday, September 11th at 2:00pm. The fair committee has planned a full weekend of entertainment for the entire family. “Bob Jovi and KCDC will definitely be something you won't want to miss. They are a couple of the top bands in KC. We have more vendors this year than we had in 2019, so people will want to put some time aside to do some shopping. There are numerous boutiques, crafters, and direct sales booths. We also have a new carnival this year coming to us from Iowa so new rides and new inflatables that we haven't had before at the Fair. Plus the parade is always one of the largest events in Grain Valley for the year so having it back is great.” The community parade will be held Saturday, September 11th at 2:00pm, with the parade beginning at the high school, heading north on Main Street, west on Walnut, and south on Kirby on the way back to the high school. Approximately 35 school and community groups will participate in this year’s parade. . For more information, visit www.grainvalleyfair.org and follow the Grain Valley Fair page on Facebook. For a full schedule of events, see page 2 of this week’s edition or visit www.grainvalleyfair.org.   After having to cancel almost all events in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Grain Valley Fair committee is thrilled to open its fair next weekend. The Fair will be held at Armstrong Park on September 10th and 11th, with the community parade held downtown on Saturday, September 11th at 2:00pm. It feels great and a little overwhelming to be back at it full blown. After being off a year from the Fair we are a bit rusty. You forget a lot of the little stuff that it takes to make it all happen and all the people that have to work together to pull it off. You never know how much goes into it until you are involved,” Fair committee chair Mike Todd said. The committee has planned a full weekend of entertainment for the entire family. “Bob Jovi and KCDC will definitely be something you won't want to miss. They are a couple of the top bands in KC. We have more vendors this year than we had in 2019, so people will want to put some time aside to do some shopping. There are numerous boutiques, crafters, and direct sales booths. We also have a new carnival this year coming to us from Iowa so new rides and new inflatables that we haven't had before at the Fair. Plus the parade is always one of the largest events in Grain Valley for the year so having it back is great.” The community parade will be held Saturday, September 11th at 2:00pm, with the parade beginning at the high school, heading north on Main Street, west on Walnut, and south on Kirby on the way back to the high school. Volunteers are the backbone of the event, and additional volunteers are needed throughout the fair. “We are always looking for volunteers. With the number of vendors we have coming in we could definitely use help during vendor set up starting at 10:00am on September 10th. We can also use volunteers during the fair hours for things such as vendor hospitality, first aid, helping us keep an eye on restrooms, and keeping an eye on trash,” Todd said. Volunteers may reach out via email at gvfair@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.grainvalleyfair.org and follow the Grain Valley Fair page on Facebook. “We also have a few other surprises we are working on right now that we will announce on Facebook so that is the best place to keep updated,” Todd said. The Board of Aldermen met for its rescheduled regular meeting via videoconference on December 21st. Under New Business, the Grain Valley Fair was at the top of the agenda, with Mayor Johnston requesting a motion from the board to request financial records from the Grain Valley Fair board for all years the Fair received funds from the City. Johnston outlined several accusations related to the Fair Board, including misrepresentation of who actually serves on the Fair board and misuse of funds. Johnston stated current City Administrator Ken Murphy is listed as a board member, but Murphy was not aware he was a board member and had not attended meetings.
Johnston accused Mike Todd, Fair board member and former mayor, of misuse of Fair funds, including diversion of fair funds for personal use. Additionally, Johnston questioned whether the Fair board was authorized to use funds received by the City in 2020 for food trucks that participated in the modified September 2020 Fair. Alderman Knox stated if money was used for food trucks in 2020, “they were doing what they could to salvage what they could do for the fair”. Pressed to disclose the source accusing Todd of misusing funds for personal use, Johnston stated former City Administrator Ryan Hunt shared the accusation with him during the mayoral campaign. The Grain Valley Fair received $5,000 in 2020. Due to the cancellation of the majority of the Fair due to COVID-19, funds received in 2020 will be used for the 2021 fair. Murphy indicated a new contract needed to be completed to outline this understanding for 2021. Alderman Cleaver asked how long the Fair has received funds from the City. The Fair began receiving annual $5,000 allotments in 2016, for a total of $20,000 through 2020. Johnston suggested the City request records for each year the Fair board has received funding. Johnston stated the City Attorney felt there was precedent to request financials related to the 2020 contract, but questioned whether the Board had a right to request records for all years the Fair received funds from the City. Murphy added Todd sent a monthly reconciliation report in spreadsheet form for 2020. Alderman Stratton referenced ongoing disagreements between Johnston and Todd and asked if the request for a motion was related to the “ongoing spat between you and the Grain Valley Board president”. “How much is coming from personal (issues) and how much is really there,” Stratton asked. “I feel we have definite grounds to question,” Johnston said. Once again, Johnston outlined his concerns regarding the confusion regarding who actually serves on the board versus the board listing provided on reports to the State of Missouri. “We have a duty to see what the money is going for,” Johnston said. Reached for comment during the meeting, Todd shared his response to the accusations. “As for the food trucks, there were expenditures for Food Truck Friday Nights from the Fair bank account. The thing is, no city money was spent on the food trucks. We had some sponsors for the food trucks and that money came from there and from other Fair Sponsors. The Fair doesn't depend on just the City money, so we do raise other money as well. To say we were in violation of a contract with the City because we spend some money on food trucks is stretching it. Under that thought, any money spent by the Fair could be micromanaged by the Mayor,” Todd said. “As for the board members, we have always had the City Administrator as a board member since there was a donation from the City. It must have been a verbal agreement back when we started this, because after looking into it further, it doesn't say it is a requirement from the City's contract. If the city doesn't require a rep on the board, that is totally fine, and I will make that change or see if an elected official wants the spot.” “As for the accusations of stealing money from the Fair, I'm completely blown away. I gave the board our reconciliation form for the year and have the bank statements ready for their review as well, so they can see everything matches up if they want. To accuse me of being a thief in a public meeting based on hearsay from a former employee who was unhappy with me is borderline slander, if not slander. This ‘info’ was apparently given to him to use against me in an election that was supposed to occur last April. I really don't know what more to say about it. I'm pretty upset about it,” Todd added. “The bottom line is that I feel this is political retaliation on his (Johnston’s) part. It's no secret this isn't his first time going after me for something.” Johnston asked for a motion to request financial records from the Fair committee and was answered with silence from the Board. Hearing no motion, Johnston stated he was “disappointed that you don’t feel that we should review city spending and contracts,” and moved on to the next agenda item. In other business, the Board approved several resolutions and ordinances, including:
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