2013 National Baby Food Festival

Wednesday, July 17 - Saturday, July 20, 2013

The National Baby Food Festival (NBFF) will kick off on Wednesday, July 17 and will conclude on Saturday, July 20. Family fun is the key component in the National Baby Food Festival. Fremont, the Baby Food Capital of the World, is the home of Gerber Products Company, making this a one-of-a-kind festival. 

The city of 4,400 is transformed for one week in July into the Family Fun Capital of the United States! What would a Baby Food Festival be without those baby-oriented activities? Even for those without infants, the Baby Crawl is a very entertaining event! "I'm not sure what's more fun, the crawling babies or the parents that will do anything to get them across the finish line!" remarked an enthusiastic spectator. 

The Festival kicks off on Wednesday, July 17, with a “4-H Children’s Petting Zoo” at 10:00 am, followed by the “Kid’s Expo” held from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. This free event will feature police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and more that the children will be encouraged to explore. There will also be upwards of 20 booths with free popcorn, snow cones, and a vast array of activities for all the participants. And children that visit each and every booth will qualify for some fantastic door prizes. The “Kid’s Zone” is open every afternoon; Wendesday through Friday, for children ages 3 to 10 to participate in an arts and crafts activity. Groups representing the Newaygo County Great Start will use their unique talents to staff the Kid’s Zone in the Fremont Marketplace   

 Do you remember the days of feeding the baby, when it seemed more food wound up on the baby’s face, chair, and the floor, than in the baby’s mouth? The NBFF reminds us of those days with an Adult and a Kid’s “Baby Food Eating Contest”. Participants work in pairs trying to feed a jar of baby food to their partner in the least amount of time. The person doing the feeding is blindfolded, which leaves the person being fed to do all of the work.

Other activities include a wide variety of contests, musicians, clowns, and more! Children’s activities include frog jumping and turtle racing contests, bubble gum blowing and hula-hoop contests, obstacle course, bike race, fun run, water balloon toss, penny scramble, scavenger hunt, and much more. We have also added a junior division to many of our favorite children’s contests and events this year for the older children as well. The NBFF Committee continues to work diligently to provide fun and entertainment for the entire family” states Sue Johnson, Festival Coordinator. Babies are treated to the Famous “Baby Crawl”, “First Baby Born Contest”, “Rock and Rest”, and the “Baby Photo Contest”.

And for the grown-ups, let’s not forget the entertaining “Adult Baby Food Eating Contest”, Texas Hold'Em at the Moose Lodge, 5 and 10K run, and more! Area businesses can also compete in the Corporate Olympics. In this event, adult teams from area businesses compete in offbeat activities like the Tricycle Race with adults racing on kid-sized trikes, baby food eating, and other contests. This event is one of the most popular, as area employees cheer on their co-workers by wearing their team logos and colors.

Everyone loves a parade, and we have two! A Children’s Parade featured on Wednesday at 5:30 pm and our signature Grand Parade, with over 100 entries, on Saturday at 10:30 am. Check our website for more information. On our Main Stage, at the Veterans Memorial Park Amphitheater, we headliner entertainment. We also provide entertainment on our Community Stage, which is at the Fremont Farmers Market, located behind the Fremont Area Chamber’s office. And while you’re in town, don’t forget to visit the Arts and Crafts Show all day on Friday and Saturday. With over 60 vendors, there is sure to be something for everyone. Our carnival runs Tuesday through Saturday, with many Pay-One-Price opportunities. “We draw close to 100,000 people to Fremont each year,” remarked Ron Vliem, Executive Director of The Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce. “We have a reputation for providing good clean family fun, so come and join us for the Festival in 2013!”  

For ticket information, entry forms, or questions, call the festival office at 231-924-0770 or 1-800-592-BABY (2229).