INDIANAPOLIS — There are over 12,000 4-H projects on display at the Indiana State Fair this year, and the Exhibit Hall Workers who arranged them are probably younger than you think.
"A lot of people don't think about just how much work goes into this, like setting it up, moving things around," said Exhibit Hall Worker Kjartan Plett. "A lot of people think that it was done by like the adult employees that are around the State Fair and don't realize that the EHWs are the ones who did all of it."
The age of Exhibit Hall Workers, affectionately called EHWs, ranges from 14 to young college age.
"We got here probably on the 25th of July," explained Jacquelynn Hoover, another Exhibit Hall Worker.
While the State Fair started August 1, the crew arrived days early to prepare the Exhibit Hall and Centennial Hall, check-in projects from 4-H members from across the state, assist judges and ultimately display the projects with their ribbons for the public to view.
During the fair, the workers will stay busy, answering questions and patrolling the exhibit areas to make sure no one breaks any projects.
"When I first started here, it was very intimidating," described EHW Kjartan Plett of asking people not to touch the projects. "Especially if they are an adult."
There are all sorts of projects, everything from cake decorating to arts and crafts to woodworking. Many of them are breakable, which forces young workers to find their voice.
"Your job is to make sure these projects get back to the kids unharmed and safe," Plett continued.
Carol Vojkufka is going into her tenth year of 4-H, and this is her third year working as an Exhibit Hall Worker.
"I've been getting better at interacting with other people and coming out of my shell a little bit more," Vojkufka shared.
"For many of them, it's their first job. It's their first paycheck," explained Casey Mull of the program.
Mull is the Assistant Director of Extension for 4-H Youth Development through Purdue University.
"It gives them an opportunity to prepare for what after high school looks like," Mull continued.
When the workers aren't on the clock, they can relax in their dorm or the hospitality room. They can also explore the fairgrounds.
On Mondays, when the fair is not open to the public, 4-H staff takes all the workers on excursions outside of the fairgrounds.
"They get an opportunity to see a different side of the Indiana State Fair. They're oftentimes behind the scenes," Mull shared. "And help get to understand what it takes to manage such a large event, and that equips them to do those things in their everyday life and well into the future."
Behind the scenes, the dorms where workers live during the fair have bunk beds and showers.
"We've had a couple of issues with people staying up on their phones all night, and there's the part where everybody's alarm is going off at different times," described Vojkufka of the dorm experience.
"Sometimes it's difficult to get up in the morning, but you still have to," continued Vojkufka.
There is a constant flow of food for the 4-Hers in the hospitality room, plus a place for them to do their laundry.
The hospitality room is also filled with games, puzzles, a piano and a pet fish that someone won at the Midway while they were off the clock.
WRTV wasn't allowed to go into the dorms, but asked some of the workers how clean they were at this point in the fair.
"The larger dorm for the boys it would be like probably a six," Plett shared. "Smaller dorm, it could be like a five."
Plett used a scale of one to ten, with ten being "more messy."
"I think ours stays a little bit neater, but we do have our faults, and it does get a little bit messy every so often," Vojkufka shared of the girls dorm.
Despite the fun fair environment and living away from home, they all have been hard workers so far, according to Mull.
"Fortunately, no shenanigans," Mull said with a grin.
"I love this job for so many reasons," Hoover shared. "Living with the people, interacting with the people, getting to hang out and just be more of myself than I would at home, it changed me."
Hoover added that 4-H is her passion, and she wants to have a career in the future working with 4-H.
There are around 35 Exhibit Hall Workers in 2025. While some students leave during the middle of the fair to return to school, others will stay until August 19, a few days after the fair ends, to clean up the projects.
If you are interested in being an Exhibit Hall Worker in 2026, you can watch for applications to open on the State 4-H website in February or March. The job pays minimum wage.
