Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Detroit
- 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
- 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
- 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Great Lakes Fruit Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO: Farm Markets, Buyers and Grower Education
The Great Lakes Fruit Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO gives farm retail a distinct place on the trade-show floor, then takes that focus into West Michigan with a farm-market tour before the convention opens. At DeVos Place, the program also brings together crop and business education, appointments for Michigan suppliers and buyers, and a mushroom-cultivation workshop with materials to take home.
Farm retail alongside crop and technology learning
The organizer describes more than 70 educational sessions in morning and afternoon blocks across the three Expo days. Their subject areas include general agriculture, fruit, greenhouse, vegetable and farm-market work, and pesticide recertification credits are available. The education page does not provide 2026 session titles or individual times, so visitors can assess the broad subject mix but cannot yet plan around a particular talk.
The trade show gives that learning a practical business setting. Its announced features include the Farm Market and More Hall, a Valent Trade Show Stage for practical education, an aisle devoted to agricultural technology, research posters on work outside the education sessions, networking lounges and an Apple and Onion Variety Showcase. The organizer advertises 2.5 days of access to exhibitors.
The EXPO describes its scale as more than 4,500 people working in fruit, vegetable, greenhouse and farm-market sectors, alongside more than 400 companies. Those are the organizer’s stated figures for the gathering, not a promise about who will attend this edition. For farm-market operators, the dedicated hall and variety showcase provide a specific retail focus within a wider event that also covers production, research and technology.
Further reading: Attend - Great Lakes Expo ↗ · Education - Great Lakes Expo ↗ · Register - Great Lakes Expo ↗ · Great Lakes Fruit Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO – NCAT ↗
A day in the field before the convention
The separate Farm Market Bus Tour takes participants to West Michigan farm markets on Dec. 7, the day before the Expo begins. Michigan State University Extension educators will moderate the full-day outing, which is framed around how farms bring products to consumers through their marketing strategies.
That makes the tour a more focused option for people working in direct sales or farm retail than a general convention session: the subject is how markets operate and how farms connect products with customers. The tour has its own fee and cancellation terms, and the organizer does not list a departure time.
Further reading: Register - Great Lakes Expo ↗
Appointments for selected suppliers; a reception open to all
The buyer/supplier meetings have a defined business purpose: short, one-on-one appointments connect buyers looking for Michigan products with Michigan companies, farmers and producers. Suppliers must apply in advance, register as Expo attendees and be selected; applying does not ensure a meeting. The listed application deadline is Nov. 2, 2026, so anyone checking after that date should confirm with the organizer whether applications are still being considered.
The Wednesday Expo Social offers a different kind of connection. It is free and does not require a ticket, with light refreshments and one complimentary drink. The announced awards include the Cider Trophy, student scholarships, MSHS Distinguished Service and MVC Master Farmer; the organizer also plans additional awards.
A separate Prayer Breakfast is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Its program combines breakfast with singing, a message and prayer. The registration page says the 2026 price was reduced from $28 through sponsorship from Reister Grower Services.
Further reading: Buyer Matchmaking at Expo Dec 9, signup required - Great Lakes Expo ↗ · Register - Great Lakes Expo ↗
Mushroom instruction with a participant-made inoculation
Mushroom Cultivation 101 is a two-hour class led by Justin Sean of Great Lakes Mushroom Company. The workshop introduces four ways to grow mushrooms and covers multiple gourmet and medicinal varieties, with instruction following cultivation from its early stages through harvest.
Participants make an inoculation during class and take it home along with a Ready-To-Fruit grow kit. Mushroom coffee and snacks are included. The combination of instruction and take-home materials makes this a practical choice for someone interested in cultivation, as well as a concrete example of the kind of participatory class a farm market might offer.
Further reading: Register - Great Lakes Expo ↗
A professional meeting with several ways to focus a visit
The announced activities move between different settings and purposes: the market tour takes farm retail off-site, the buyer appointments are an application-based opportunity for eligible Michigan suppliers, and the Social is an open reception. The mushroom class is the hands-on option; the larger education program ranges across production and farm-market subjects, though individual 2026 sessions and times are not listed.
2026-12-07 · Farm Market Bus Tour
- Full-day West Michigan farm-market tour moderated by Michigan State University Extension educators.
2026-12-08 · Education
- Educational sessions across general agriculture, fruit, greenhouse, vegetable and farm-market subjects; the organizer describes more than 70 sessions over the three Expo days.
2026-12-09 · Education
- Educational sessions across general agriculture, fruit, greenhouse, vegetable and farm-market subjects; the organizer describes more than 70 sessions over the three Expo days.
2026-12-09 · Prayer Breakfast
- Separate $20 breakfast with singing, a message and prayer.
2026-12-09 · Buyer/Supplier Matchmaking Meetings
- Pre-registered one-on-one meetings for selected Michigan companies, farmers and producers seeking buyers for Michigan products.
2026-12-09 · Expo Social
- Free reception; ticket not required. Includes light refreshments and one complimentary drink, with industry and academic awards.
2026-12-10 · Education
- Educational sessions across general agriculture, fruit, greenhouse, vegetable and farm-market subjects; the organizer describes more than 70 sessions over the three Expo days.
2026-12-10 · Mushroom Cultivation 101
Dates, registration and practical planning
Three days at DeVos Place
The Expo runs Dec. 8–10, 2026, at DeVos Place Convention Center, 303 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. The event listing gives daily hours of 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. EST. Some separate events take place outside those hours; check the individual schedule before planning the day.
Great Lakes Fruit Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO – NCAT ↗ · Accommodations - Great Lakes Expo ↗
Confirm the main registration price
Expo registration is required for general access. It includes the full trade-show floor, including the Farm Market and More Hall, and educational sessions without an additional fee. It does not include meals or events with a separate charge. The listed main fee fields show $0 but do not establish the actual registration price; confirm the current amount with the organizer before booking. An early-bird discount is listed through Nov. 15.
The main registration categories provide equal access to the Expo, though each is associated with a sponsoring organization. For example, the Fruit category includes a one-year Michigan State Horticultural Society membership and a complimentary trade magazine matched to that category for one year. Qualifications for some categories are verified.
A scholarship for people unable to afford registration covers the full registration cost for one person. The listed application deadline was Oct. 31, 2026; contact the organizer to ask whether a late application can be considered.
Register - Great Lakes Expo ↗ · Great Lakes Expo - Connect. Innovate. Grow. ↗
Separate times, fees and booking rules
The Farm Market Bus Tour is Monday, Dec. 7, and costs $195. It is described as a full-day tour; no departure time is listed. The organizer says there are no refunds after Nov. 25.
On Wednesday, Dec. 9, the Prayer Breakfast begins at 7 a.m. and costs $20. Buyer/supplier meetings are listed from 2–4 p.m.; applications are due Nov. 2, and participation is limited to Michigan companies, farmers and producers. Suppliers must also register as Expo attendees, and not all applicants will be selected. The Expo Social begins at 5:30 p.m., with awards starting at about 6:15 p.m.; it is free, and no ticket is required.
Getting to DeVos Place
Convention center and local transit
The event takes place at DeVos Place Convention Center, 303 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. The organizer publishes driving directions and event-trolley details, but no city bus or rail routes. The map links can calculate directions from your own starting point.
Free trolley from DASH Area Lot #9
The free trolley connects DASH Area Lot #9, 250 Seward NW, with the front of DeVos Place. It is scheduled to run every 7–10 minutes on a loop from 7 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, and Wednesday, Dec. 9, and from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. The last trolley leaves at the listed end time. At DeVos Place, the return pickup and drop-off are near the main entrance in the bus drop-off lane.
At DASH Lot #9, the organizer directs riders to the middle gate and Expo signs. Parking under and around DeVos Place is fee-based; the Expo does not reimburse or validate parking. The page does not list the parking price for DASH Lot #9.
Published driving routes to the trolley lot
From the north or south, the organizer directs drivers on US-131 to Pearl Street, exit 85B, then west toward Seward Street and north to DASH Lot #9. From Lansing or Detroit, its route is I-96 West to I-196 West, then Ottawa Avenue, exit 77C, followed by Michigan Street, Bridge Street and Seward Street. From Muskegon, the listed route is I-96 East to US-131 South, exit 31A, then US-131 to Pearl Street, exit 85B, and Seward Street. From Holland or Chicago, it is I-196 East to Ottawa Avenue, exit 77C, then Michigan Street, Bridge Street and Seward Street.
Before you make a plan
Is general Expo registration free?
The listed $0 fee fields do not establish the actual general registration price. Registration is required; confirm the current fee with the organizer. It includes the trade-show floor and sessions without an additional fee, but not meals or separately priced events.
Can anyone attend the buyer/supplier meetings?
Michigan companies, farmers and producers may apply. Suppliers must also register as Expo attendees, and not all applicants will be selected. The listed application deadline is Nov. 2, 2026.
Buyer Matchmaking at Expo Dec 9, signup required - Great Lakes Expo ↗ · Register - Great Lakes Expo ↗
What is included in Mushroom Cultivation 101?
The two-hour workshop includes mushroom coffee and snacks. Participants take home the inoculation they make and a Ready-To-Fruit grow kit. It costs $40 with Expo registration or $60 for workshop-only attendance; registration closes Dec. 2, with no on-site registration.
Does the Expo Social require a ticket?
No. The Wednesday reception is free and open without a ticket. It includes light refreshments and one complimentary drink.
Is there a shuttle to DeVos Place?
A free trolley connects DeVos Place with DASH Area Lot #9 at 250 Seward NW. It runs every 7–10 minutes during the organizer’s published daily periods; the parking price at the lot is not listed.
Location & Google Maps
DeVos Place Convention Center
303 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.