2026 Barry County Career Fest

Join us for the 4th Annual Barry County Career Fest, hosted at TBD on February 17, 2026.  This all-day event will focus on a wide variety of career choices found in Barry County and allow high school-aged children from the public and private schools to interact with area businesses and post-secondary educational institutions in pursuit of a possible career pathway.

The Career Fest will focus on a multitude of career choices such as Business Management, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, Construction, Health & Human Services, Medical, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Horticulture, Culinary Arts, Hospitality, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Insurance, and Mechanics.
 

Business registration is now open! There is no cost to have a booth at the Barry County Career Fest; however, we do ask that your booth is interactive and includes some type of demonstration, hands-on activity, or some other dynamic aspect that highlights the various career paths that exist within your company.

The deadline to register your booth is Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

General Timeline: (tentative; schedule subject to change)
8:00am-8:30am: Vendor Setup
8:30am-10:35am:  HHS 10th Grade Students
10:35am-12:15pm: Delton Kellogg and Maple Valley Schools
12:15pm-12:55pm Vendor lunch 
12:55pm-3:00pm: HHS 11th Grade Students

Students will be in groups of 40, with about 25 minutes per section (CERC Lobby, Aux Gym, Main Gym, Gym Lobby). Students will be able to pick and choose what businesses they visit in each area. 

Parking: front of school, NW lot
Drop-off & Pick-up Materials: front of school, athletic entrance

This event is proudly brought to you by the Barry County Chamber & Economic Development Alliance and is sponsored by West Michigan Works and the Ascend Youth Program.