Expo Idaho names Helen Baker director to lead Garden City event campus

BOISE ― Expo Idaho has selected an experienced fairgrounds leader to guide the 240-acre Garden City event campus and its flagship summer event, the Western Idaho Fair.

Helen Baker has been named director of Expo Idaho and the Western Idaho Fair, bringing a background in fairground management, community events and public partnerships to the role. She most recently served as director of the Jackson County Expo in southern Oregon, where she helped revitalize the nearly 400-acre event campus by expanding events and strengthening community partnerships.

Baker said she is eager to build on what makes the Treasure Valley‘s event grounds and venue distinctive.

“I’m incredibly excited to join Expo Idaho and the Western Idaho Fair,” Baker said. “This is such an important place for the community, and I’m looking forward to building on the traditions that already make the fair and the Expo so special.”

Before her work in Jackson County, Baker developed her career in communications, sponsorship development and community programming. Expo Idaho officials said her experience leading large-scale events and cultivating partnerships positions her well to advance the campus as a year-round destination.

Baker said her focus will be on deepening community ties while growing the event calendar.

“Our mission is to create a space where people come together and make memories,” she said. “I’m excited to work with our team and community partners to continue growing events and opportunities for families across the Treasure Valley.”

Expo Idaho is owned by Ada County and operated as a self-funded facility. In addition to hosting the Western Idaho Fair each summer, the campus welcomes trade shows, sporting events, auctions and community gatherings throughout the year, such as the annual Gem State Comic Con. It is also home to the Boise Hawks baseball team, Athletic Club Boise and Riverside RV Park.

The 2026 Western Idaho Fair is scheduled to run Aug. 21-30. More information is available at idahofair.com and expoidaho.com.