The following is a report from The Daily Reporter.
Back for a fourth year, owners of Grand Design RVs are packing the expanded campsites at the Branch County Fairgrounds for a five-day rally and campout through Saturday.
Jason Varga and his wife Amanda coordinate with four other volunteer couples to host other Grand Design RV owners for the event. The event features people getting together, games, an educational program and a “chance to enjoy time with others with the same interests,” Jason said.
The fair board’s campsite expansion allowed the number of RVs to increase to just over 300, almost a third larger than the three previous years.
The location is the largest one with hookups in the state for the rally.
Rental for the rally is the biggest fair board money-maker after the August fair.
On Tuesday, the fairgrounds roads were lined with RVs waiting to pull into spots for hookups directed by volunteers.
Jason Varga said, “Four other couples are volunteering. None of this would happen without these unpaid volunteers.”
Many of the people know each other from this and other camping events. They socialize, play games and bingo, and have cornhole tournaments, dances and campfires.
Bill and Wendy Sabin from Cleveland arrived early with their dogs, Gunner and Remy. In Coldwater for the second year, both came back for “the camaraderie. It’s just a really nice event, put on well. You’re not going to run into any problems with anybody here.”
Both will try local restaurants and check out the county. Their 32-foot fifth wheel is a two-year-old trailer. “It’s almost like a house in there,” Wendy said. The couple upgraded from a 27-foot RV for more room.
Both took the week off. “We’d like to travel more, but we got to retire first,” Bill said.
Colleen and Kurt Cleary are from Grand Rapids. They attended the National Rally last year and decided to participate in the Michigan Rally this year.
Kurt bought the RV in November 2021 and took it deer hunting. “It’s got an Arctic package. I was up in 22-degree weather for four days and nothing froze. Grand time,” he said.
Read the full report from The Daily Reporter here.
