Twelve fair board volunteers attend the Association of Iowa Fairs conference

The Washington County Fair Association was very well represented at the 2025 Association of Iowa Fairs conference and annual meeting held in Des Moines Dec. 11-14. Volunteers had multiple learning sessions to attend ranging in topics from food service guidelines, livestock veterinary updates, social & charitable gambling, alcohol licensing, and social media strategies to name a few. Showcases were held so fairs could listen to bands, see entertainment acts, and over eighty associate members attended making up a vendor show to allow fairs to book all kinds of entertainment in one place.

The volunteers also attend an awards banquet on Friday night and the social a’fair & auction on Saturday night. The social a’fair theme was “Pirates of the Fairabean.”

Vice President Laura Huber said, “This conference is an opportunity to refresh us on fair safety, insurance, & fair procedures, etc. but it is also a great networking tool. We get so many ideas by sitting around with different counties and discussing what works for them, what works for us.”

Volunteers attending from Washington County Fair included: President Nick Shelman, Vice President Laura Huber, Treasurer Jared Waters, Kurt Dallmeyer, Tom Evans, Chris Graf, Jarrod, Horning, Jason Longbine, Travis Shelman, Jerome Vittetoe plus Secretary to the Board Rachel Longbine and Office Manager Jan Dallmeyer.

Jarrod Horning also represented Washington County as the southeast district Iowa State Fair Board member and Kurt Dallmeyer is the southeast district director for the Association of Iowa Fairs.

There are one hundred five county fairs in Iowa plus the Iowa State Fair and every fair was represented at the conference.

For more information about the Washington County Fair Association, follow them on Facebook or at www.washingtoncountyfairia.com.