08/15/2026
🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Steve Black 🌟
For more than four decades, Steve Black has been a dedicated part of the Frederick County Fair!
Steve’s involvement began when he was just 16 years old as chairman of the Fair Committee for James Wood FFA. He started attending Fair meetings so he could report back to his FFA chapter—and what began as a youth leadership role turned into approximately 44 years of service to the Fair. What he probably didn’t realize at 16 was just how much of his life would become intertwined with the Fair and the people who make it so special.
His dedication was evident from the very beginning. In 1984, Steve was recognized as Youth Volunteer of the Year. Over the years, he went on to serve for many years as a member of the Board of Directors and also spent time as Vice President. His willingness to serve, lead, and lend a hand has remained a constant throughout the decades.
Steve played an instrumental role alongside former Entertainment Directors Sue Gray and Rose McDonald, helping prepare the grandstand area for the country music concerts that were once a big part of Fair week. From helping build the stage to making sure the electrical needs were handled, Steve was always willing to step in wherever he was needed. Those concerts and Fair nights created memories for generations of fairgoers, and behind so many of those memories were volunteers like Steve quietly putting in the hours to make them possible.
Fair service became a family affair as well. Steve got his dad involved through Black’s Electric, and together they dedicated countless hours to helping get everything ready to open the gates each year. Those long days of preparation, working alongside family and friends, are part of what makes the history of our Fair so meaningful.
In 2005, Steve received the Shingleton Award, recognizing his continued dedication and service to the Fair. It was a fitting recognition for someone who had already given so much of his time and talents to an organization he truly cared about.
In October 2023, Steve took on another important role when he became President of the Frederick County Fair, a position he continues to hold today. After decades of working behind the scenes, serving on the Board, and helping wherever needed, he now helps lead an organization that he first became involved with as a teenager.
From a 16-year-old FFA member attending his first meetings to leading the organization today, Steve’s story is a wonderful example of what lifelong volunteer service looks like.
Forty-four years isn’t just a number. It represents countless meetings, late nights, early mornings, projects, Fair weeks, friendships, memories, and hours spent doing whatever needed to be done. It represents growing up with the Fair, bringing family into it, watching it change through the years, and continuing to show up.
People like Steve are a reminder that the Frederick County Fair is so much more than one week each summer. It is generations of people giving their time, sharing their talents, and caring enough to keep something special going year after year.
👏 Thank you, Steve, for approximately 44 years of dedication, leadership, hard work, and commitment to the Frederick County Fair! Your impact can be seen not only in what you have helped accomplish, but in the memories, traditions, and history you have helped create along the way. ❤️
