OSWEGO — Labette County Fair Board President Kayla O’Brien hopes the public will attend events starting Saturday, July 19, for the week-long Labette County Fair in Oswego.
Events include static 4-H exhibits and animal showing throughout the days and some evenings. There will be two nights of professional rodeo (Tuesday and Wednesday, July 22 and 23), a 4-H timed event for the 4-H horse show on Thursday, July 24, professional bull riding on Friday, July 25, and the demolition derby on Saturday, July 26.
“I just hope that everybody comes out and walks through the barns and walks through the exhibit building. Let the kids show you what they’ve been working on for six, seven months. Come out and have fun,” O’Brien said.
Fair board presidents serve two-year terms, and this is O’Brien’s first year. She and her family, and her husband’s family, have a long tradition of fair participation.
She started showing in 4-H at age 7 and continued until she aged out at 18 when she was in FFA. Her father, Mark, still serves on the fair board, something he’s done for more than 30 years. Her brother, Nick Johnston, was involved in 4-H and FFA. And her son and her brother’s kids also participate in 4-H. Her husband, Aaron, and his family have also participated in the fair.
“I’ve always been part of it somehow, whether it’s watching my niece and nephews show, watching my son show or being on the board,” she said.
“It’s just kind of a family tradition of always being out there weeks before the fair, getting ready and then helping out whenever you’re needed. So, I’m just very thankful that I can continue that,” she said of serving her first year as president.
The fair board and volunteers get the grounds ready in the weeks before the fair. The big project this year was adding two more fans to the livestock areas, one to the horse barn and one to the swine barn. Big Ass Fans is the company that makes the fans.
New bleachers for the east side of the rodeo arena will be coming in future years, she said. But the fair board wants to make improvements to the goat and sheep barn before that, including adding a fan or fans.
She said this is the second year that the timed events for the 4-H horse show will be on a Thursday. They formerly took place on the first Saturday evening of the fair. Entry is free to this event and other 4-H shows and exhibits, while other evening events cost money.
“We had a really good turnout (last year),” she said. “We probably had the best attendance for the horse show that we’ve ever had.”
The livestock premium sale takes place on Friday of fair week.
O’Brien is thankful for the community and business support for that sale.
“We just have the best support for the kids, for their animals, and they come out every year. And I’m hoping this year is bigger than last year,” O’Brien said.
She said she hopes that the numbers of exhibitors and show livestock continue to grow at the fair. She said that youth don’t have to live on farms and show livestock to participate in 4-H. 4-H is for all youth and teaches life lessons, including leadership qualities.
As the fair week approaches, O’Brien said she’s thankful for the 14 members of the fair board who give time and effort to make the week great for the youth.
“They are why our fair is great,” she said, adding that she was thankful for Labette County’s support of the fair, as well as the state’s.
“It’s just amazing to see all the nuts and bolts of how it all comes together for the week of the fair.”
She said she’s gained a new perspective on the amount of work needed to make the fair happen.
“It definitely opens your eyes on how much time and effort the board of directors go through to make the fair a success. Everybody I think takes it for granted that we just open the barns.”
