DARKE COUNTY – The Darke County Fair Board held its regularly scheduled meeting on December 3, with a long list of items up for discussion and approval. All directors were in attendance except for Director Craig Bowman. The meeting had full seating of guests, including four members of the Junior Fairboard.
Mercedes McFarland, 4-H Youth Development Educator, introduced Jessica Fisher to the board as the 4-H Youth Development Program Assistant.
Junior Fair Coordinator, Betsy Petitjean, presented proposed Green Book rule changes to the Board for approval. These changes were developed and approved in committee and by the Jr. Fairboard. Senior Fairboard approved unanimously. Skillathon dates and the possibility of an optional digital skillathon offering were discussed and tabled for the next meeting.
The Caretaker, Dave Jay, reported on current maintenance projects, noting that the wind-damaged electric pole has been secured and replacement is arranged and the Youth Building water leak has been repaired. Upcoming spring projects were also discussed.
The Board noted that the Community Building was recently rented for a wedding and the feedback was positive, with some notes for improvement on the facilities, including adding a refrigerator, stove, and tables. A refrigerator has since been donated by Hansbarger Appliances and the Board will explore other improvements.
Fair Secretary, Heidi May, proposed a change of office hours. The board discussed and ultimately approved the following office hours:
- From November to March, the office will be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 4 pm and on Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm.
- From March to November, the office will be open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and on Saturdays from 8 am to noon.
Board Treasurer, Christoph Keller, presented the proposed budget for the 2025-2026 year. The budget was reviewed and approved. The Board thanked Christoph for his hard work on this task.
Board President Marla Werner reviewed the slate of events planned for the Grandstand during the 2026 fair and said that the schedule is almost complete.
During the new business, the Board discussed a request from the Sheep Committee concerning the sound system in the arena. They requested permission to use their own sound system to which the Board agreed to review this with their contracted sound tech to assess the possibility. Dean will follow up with the Sheep Committee.
The Board voted on and passed several items, including the purchase of a replacement laptop, the purchase of chains and locks for unused horse stalls, multiple contracts, a resolution for the signing of documents related to the recent real estate purchase, and moving the election of Board officers from November to October.
The upcoming Ohio Fair Managers’ Convention was discussed and it was announced that Darke County’s 2025 Jr Fair Queen, Grace Borchers, will attend and compete in the Ohio Fairs’ Queen Contest.
The 2026 Fair theme was also discussed, with plans to coincide with America’s 250th birthday. The official fair theme will be announced at a future meeting.
The Fairboard went into executive session to discuss private security matters and to finalize 2026’s Fair Supporter of the Year. At the conclusion of the executive session, the Board announced that this honor would be bestowed on Dena Wuebker.
Congratulations, Dena Wuebker!
