MORGANTOWN – For many, the county fair and 4-H are essentially one and the same.
Even more than funnel cakes and carnival rides, livestock shows and 4-H exhibits are historically foundational to the county fair experience.
In Monongalia County, however, the two have parted ways – at least for the upcoming 2026 Monongalia County Fair.
Instead, Monongalia County 4-H is working with a newly created nonprofit, Monongalia County Youth Livestock Association, which will conduct its own livestock show and sale on Aug. 1 at the Monongalia County Center, in Mylan Park.
“We’re having our 4-H exhibits there, too. So, it’s not just the livestock,” 4-H and Youth Development Extension Agent Becca Fint-Clark recently told members of the Monongalia County Commission. “Our photography projects, our sewing projects; all the other non-livestock projects will be set up in the building. We’re inviting our homemakers or CEOS members to come do demonstrations. So, I think it’s going to be a great event. You’re not going to have to pay to get in. I think people are going to love seeing the animals and I think the kids are going to be excited to see them.”
Deb Dean, president of the nonprofit association, said years of mounting frustration over fair scheduling – specifically the fair being held after the start of the school year – helped give rise to the MCYLA late last year after the Monongalia County Fair Board announced the 2026 fair would once again be held in September.
MCYLA Vice President Jessica Miller explained further.
“In October, we found out that the fair was essentially planning on putting the timing for the kids to be during the school year again. So, we pulled together the first meeting. We were 501c3 approved in December,” she said.
Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of fundraising.
Dean explained the group was able to raise $8,000 through a fundraiser with the River Road Volunteer Fire Department.
“We also did have a nonprofit group give us a very generous donation to help with our pens. [Fint-Clark] graciously gave us some mailing hints, and we sent items out to everyone in the chamber of commerce. It’s unbelievable how much money, coming in at $100 or $200. It’s adding up,” Dean said. “It’s wonderful for the kids. I think people assume it’s the fair, and it’s not. We’re a lot of the same people, we just have a different name now and I think we’re going about things differently. All we want to do is just do what’s best to keep agriculture from dying.”
Dean said the organization has a strong educational core and its board of directors works hand-in-hand with a youth board of future leaders.
On the other side of the equation, Eric Finch, representing the Monongalia County Fair Board, said the body was caught off guard by the 4-H decision, noting the board has worked to accommodate 4-H in the past, including last year, when the livestock show and sale was held outside of fair week.
He said a request to move the fair dates before the start of school was presented at the board’s Nov. 4 meeting. The body tabled the question for consideration at its December meeting.
“We said, ‘That might be possible. We don’t know, but we’re not comfortable making any decision in the same meeting that it’s proposed …’”, Finch said. “The very following day, we received the email from 4-H saying they’d no longer participate. So, really, we had no time to even react.”
Monongalia County Fair Livestock Chair Jennifer Turner explained that setting fair dates is a complicated puzzle that requires balancing multiyear contracts with carnival companies and other vendors while paying attention to when other fairs and local and regional events are taking place in an effort to avoid conflicts.
But before any of that, the fair board has had to work around Mylan Park’s increasingly busy schedule since the park started hosting the county’s summer showcase in 2010.
This year, however, will be the fair’s first on its own dedicated fairgrounds – 65 acres at 72 Adena Drive, located off Walnut Hill Road in Cassville.
“This property really alleviates that issue, and we will have a lot more flexibility with scheduling to where now the only things we have to worry about scheduling-wise are other events and our contracts with the carnival or rodeo or whoever else,” Finch said. “No disrespect to Mylan Park whatsoever but removing the aspect of the park’s availability is big for us.”
Finch went on to say that he’s both hopeful and confident 4-H and the county fair can reunite in years to come. Asked if moving the fair earlier in the summer is a possibility in the future, he said, “Absolutely.”
“To put it plainly, it struck us to receive that email probably 12 or 16 hours after our meeting. I agree, it’s been a long-term request, but like I said, we’ll work with them,” he said. “For years, the Monongalia County Fair wasn’t really anything to call home about. It wasn’t anything special. And we finally get to where the fair is good and we’re having thousands of attendees and one of the best carnival companies we’ve ever had, the best rodeo in North Central West Virginia, easily. Then this happens. It really threw us for a loop and we’re disappointed it happened.”
The Monongalia County Fair will run from Sept. 9-13.
It will conduct its own livestock show and sale prior to the fair, from Aug. 12-15. That show will be open to participants from kindergarten through four years post high school, if enrolled in post-secondary education. Participants can be from Monongalia, Marion, Preston, Wetzel, Taylor, Greene (Pa.) or Fayette (Pa.) counties and do not have to be in 4-H to participate.
