Many Hands Make Light Work at the Waukesha County Fair

A dedicated group of volunteers help make the Waukesha County Fair run smoothly and some say that without the volunteers, the fair wouldn’t be held at all.

The fair has only one full-time employee, Executive Director Shari Black, five part-time office staff members and, during the fair, about 70 paid security or other type workers. But, the bulk of the work is done by volunteers.

Organized by committees of a 14-member volunteer board of the Waukesha County Fair Association, the volunteers do a variety of work at the fair –helping with judging, working in the 4-H kitchen, setting up tents, organizing the animal areas, working with commercial vendors and more, all under the auspices of making the fair successful.

“Without the volunteers, the fair would be nothing,” said Rob Schuett. “A lot of hours are put into it.”

Schuett is the volunteer in charge of the auction on Friday night, which requires a lot of volunteers in and of itself, for important tasks like clerical support to more basic tasks like passing out water this year.

“There’s a lot going on behind the scenes,” he said.

Because each committee is responsible for recruiting their own volunteers, the exact numbers of volunteers working at the fair is unknown but Black estimates there are “hundreds and hundreds,” a guess that is supported by other volunteers.

This year, the fair volunteers are doing more, too, due to a necessary renegotiation of the fair’s contract with the county, paying less on its lease with the county for the expo grounds in exchange for doing maintenance work that the county used to do. Last year, the fair didn’t do well financially because of storms and flooding. The Waukesha County Fair Association is a non-profit volunteer organization that is completely separate and receives no funding from Waukesha County or the City of Waukesha.

For Black, who as a youth participated in the 4-H program, the volunteers’ dedication is shown in their willingness to work year after year, despite whatever Mother Nature has in store for the duration of the fair and despite other commitments.

“The fact that these people will come out here in this heat ... They do it because they love the fair," Black said "I used to show with them and now they’re helping and still coming. It’s a family tradition."

Many of the volunteers started out as children in the 4-H program or as parents of children in the program and moving into adult volunteer roles, where many stay, despite children graduating out of the program.

“We used to joke that the only way you get out of something is to get in your name in the obits,” Schuett said. “Once you start doing it, you stay here.”

For Jean Hovey, a 4-H volunteer for the last eight years, it’s an easy choice.

“We do it because we love it. I believe in 4-H and see what it’s done for my daughters,” she said.

The family tradition is supported by the example the parents set for their children.

“It encourages them to volunteer too,” Hovey said.

Toni Hexon, a volunteer for the last 19 to 20 years whose children are now out of 4-H, said she wants to ensure that the program continues for other children.

“I want to be there for the next generation. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” she said.

Hovey, who started out helping her children, said one job volunteering often “blossoms” into other opportunities to help.

Some of the volunteer experiences are supervising the work of the 4-H groups, a win-win situation for all involved.

“Our club learns about food service,” Hexon said.

“And how to work as a team,” said Hovey. It’s good experience for them, they both said.

But their volunteer activities aren’t only child-centered, though. For example, Hexon was a part of group that made a quilt for the silent auction, work that was useful and fun, all at the same time.

Volunteers can also be found in information booths, silent auction, project judging and demonstrating. In the 4-H building, volunteers were setting up a display of projects from the adult open class division.

Like, Hovey and Hexon, Laura Beirdemann, a 23-year veteran volunteer, and Rosemary Ebbott, a volunteer for 25 years, said they do it because they love it.

In addition to judging and setting up the area, Ebbott and Beirdemann will be demonstrating knitting, tatting, and other craftwork and talking to fairgoers and answering questions. Most times, it’s a family affair, too. Ebbott’s sister Evelyn Frost, visiting from England, comes every other year and helps, too.

“I just love doing it,” Ebbott said.

Long-time volunteer John Roberts of Waukesha, director of the Action Center where the demolition derby and tractor pull are held, said he and his volunteers are also picking up extra jobs like keeping the dust and other tasks, things the county used to do.

Roberts has been on the fair board for the last six years but has helped with the fair, on and off, for the last 30 years, starting a child with 4-H and Future Farmers of America.

“It’s just a natural progression,” said Roberts.

About his crew and for many of the volunteers, Roberts explained that “it’s in their blood.” Their dedication to the fair and to ensuring it continues is evident.

“It’s fair time," he said. "I have guys who are self-employed who are putting off jobs to be here."