Vanderwiele family named Baker County Fair's 2026 Fair Family of the Year
Vanderwiele family was named the Baker County Fair's 2026 Fair Family of the Year, honoring Cass Vanderwiele's support for youth programs. The award spotlights the volunteers behind Baker County's fairground traditions.
The Vanderwiele family was named the Baker County Fair's 2026 Fair Family of the Year, a recognition that puts volunteer labor and youth support at the center of one of Baker County's most visible traditions. Cass Vanderwiele's work supporting youth programs helped anchor the honor.
The Baker County Fair says it takes place annually during the first full week of August in Baker City, and the 2026 fair is set for Aug. 3-8. Fair organizers describe the event as a time to celebrate the county's agricultural heritage and support the dedication and hard work of local youth, a mission that runs through 4-H, FFA, livestock shows, exhibits and the other activities that give the fair its identity.
The Baker County Fairboard says its mission is to manage, maintain and promote the Baker County Fair Grounds for the benefit of county citizens. In practice, that work depends on families who keep showing up year after year to help with the parts of fair week that are not always visible from the midway, from youth projects to the livestock barns to the exhibits that fill the grounds in Baker City.
The Vanderwiele recognition also fits a pattern the fair has already established. The Robb family held the title in 2025, Jill Myatt and Nick Myatt were honored in 2024, Martin Arritola and Amber Arritola received the award in 2023, and Ron Rowan and Ann Rowan were named in 2022. That run of recipients shows the award is not a one-time gesture, but an annual way of naming the people whose time and effort keep the fair woven into county life.
For Baker County, that matters because the fair is more than a summer stop for rides and food stands. It is one of the places where rural work, youth development and civic pride meet in public, and where local families pass that culture to the next generation. The Vanderwieles' selection reflects that role: a county tradition sustained by people who invest in young participants, support the fair's day-to-day work and help keep Baker County's identity visible each August.
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