The Washington County Junior Fair Board was created in 2023 to educate and inspire the next generation about agriculture.
Kelly Korpus, a Junior Fair Board Advisor, introduced the idea after longing for another option to get involved with the fair after graduating from high school.
“I grew up being a part of 4-H. I went to Trinity High School (Korpus graduated in 2014), and unfortunately, Future Farmers of America wasn’t an option. So, I was done when I turned 18,” the Amwell Township resident, said. “When I went to college, there was a girl on my floor that would go home every weekend because she was apart of her junior fair. I was jealous. I wished we had something like that here in Washington County.”
After the pandemic, Korpus noticed that there appeared to be less young people participating in the fair.
“I just remember how much I loved growing up at the fair and being involved,” she said. “I wanted to find a way to attract more young people to the fair.”
And so, the junior fair board was born. In its inaugural year, the group offered several educational opportunities to the community and supported the Washington County Fair Board during the 224th Washington County Agricultural Fair. The junior fair board also helped with the 225th fair by conducting barn tours and providing information to the fair visitors about the different species of animals at the fair.
So far this year, Korpus said the board had an educational booth at KidsFest and hosted a flowerpot design class at Fort Cherry Elementary School. The board also assisted with Ag Days at the fairgrounds and has plans for a May reading event at the Burgettstown Community Library and a showmanship clinic.
Korpus said the board is always looking for volunteers and hopes for continued growth in the future.
“We’re always looking for more way to get involved with the community,” she said. “You don’t have to have animals or live on a farm to be involved with the fair.”
Washington County Junior Fair Board Mission
The mission of the Washington County Junior Fair Board is to provide the opportunity to learn about the Washington County Agricultural Fair and the fair industry, increase agriculture education to guests, get involved with the community, participate in community service, develop and expand leadership skills, become aware of the business and operations of the Washington County Agricultural Fair, and be involved with a group of like-minded youth working to make the fair better each year.
Duties of Junior Board Members
- Act as ambassadors for the Washington County Agricultural Fair.
- Volunteer in the community.
- During the fair, duties can include assisting in fair set-up and teardown, assisting with livestock shows, working various booths, shadowing and assisting board members when needed and completing a survey with fair visitors.
Requirements to join the Junior Fair Board
- Members must be between the ages of 14 and 21 as of January 1.
- Members who are still in high school must have GPA of at least 2.5.
- Members must attend a high school within the county, reside in Washington County or be a member in good standing with a 4-H/FFA Club/Chapter in Washington County.
- Members must be able to assist the fair board in daily activities and events during the week of the Washington County Agricultural Fair.
- Members must attend at least 2/3 of all the monthly meetings throughout their first term and attend at least one senior fair board meeting prior to the 2024 fair.
- Members must have at least one entry in the 2024 fair (all types of exhibit entries are acceptable).
Interested in Learning More?
If you’re interested in learning more about the Washington County Junior Fair Board, visit the Washington County Agricultural Fair’s website, call Kelly Korpus at 724-809-9160 or email [email protected]. A new board is selected at the beginning of each year. Applications will be available on the Washington County Fair website and in the fair office at 2151 N. Main Street, Washington.