Dear 4-H and FFA Exhibitors,
Please read through this entire message, and (though everyone should have received it by email) share these reminders
with your exhibitor friends who are coming to the Fair next week.
Schedules and
Highlights
- A Full Schedule is below.
- 4-H Interviews are Saturday, August 8th, 9am to Noon. Livestock interviews are first-come, first-served and are in the livestock barn. Non-animal interviews are in the 4-H Exhibit Building, are for a specific time and should have already been scheduled through Colleen or Trish.
- Unloading market and breeding animals will take place between 3pm and 8pm on Tuesday, 8/11, on the west side of the livestock barn. Dairy goats, rabbits, poultry and llamas arrive earlier (see full schedule).
- We will line up around the block (Benton/Washburn/Fairview) and cross Russell from Fairview (see map below). We will weigh hogs and steers as they come off the trailers on Tuesday. Lambs will be weighed after that Tuesday evening.
- If you are able to drop off tack/equipment on Sat/Sun/Mon, it will make unloading go faster.
- There will be a livestock exhibitor meeting in the show barn at 8:45am Wednesday 8/12.
- The 4-H Café schedule is below.
- There will be a 4-H/FFA family BBQ in the show barn on Saturday 8/15, following the Round-Robbin Showmanship Contest.
- There will be a 4-H/FFA Dance Saturday evening in the show barn from 8-11pm.
- There will be a 4-H/FFA Awards event in the show barn at 2pm on Sunday 8/16.
- Animals can be removed from the livestock barns after all the market animals have been loaded (normally by 8pm) on Sunday 8/16.
Changes
- We have far more beef, dairy cattle and sheep entries than last year. Space for tack and “sitting around” space will be VERY limited.
- (not a change) Beef tack and fitting chutes can go in the tent to the west, sheep/goat (and a few beef) tack/chutes can go in the tent to the east. Check with your superintendents.
- Market animals will be weighed as they are unloaded on Tuesday, not on Wednesday morning as in years past.
- The Fair officially opens to the public at 5pm Tuesday 8/11. The carnival will not open until 11am Wednesday 8/12. From 11am to 1pm every day, there is no gate charge. Prior to 11am or after 1pm, you will need a pass to get in.
Passes
- Exhibitor passes (wrist bands) will be given out at 4-H Interviews on Saturday, 8/8. We will get FFA Passes to your Advisors soon after that.
- Parent passes ($20 weekly pass) can be purchased at the Fair Office. They are open during the week, and will be open 10am to 4pm on Saturday 8/8 and Sunday 8/9 this weekend.
- 4-H Leader passes ($10 weekly pass) for those who are Certified Volunteers can be purchased at the Fair Office.
- “Early Bird” parent passes ($15 weekly pass) purchased through Colleen at the 4-H Office will be available for pickup during 4-H interviews at the Fairgrounds on Saturday 8/8 from 9am to Noon.
- The primary entry gate for 4-H/FFA exhibitors and parents is the one on Russell Street across from the bowling alley (aka the Blue Gate, or the Dairy Gate) behind the livestock barn. It will be open from 6am to 11am and you will have to show your Pass to get in.
Livestock Sale
- The 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction is Saturday, August 15th, starting at 8am sharp in the show barn.
- There is a breakfast for buyers and 4-H/FFA families sponsored by Mountain West Coop (Cenex) that will start at 6:30am in the show barn.
- It is the responsibility of each member planning to sell an animal at the sale to promote the sale and invite potential buyers to the sale. The Sale Committee and Sale Marketing Committee do a lot of this on your behalf, but you’re the one who gets the check, not 4-H or FFA, so consider it your job to get the potential buyers there.
- Some marketing resources are online here:
- The Sale order will be as follows (approximate number of animals in each group, based on weigh-in numbers, is in parenthesis): Beef (56), Mini Beef (18), Sheep (79), Champion Rabbit and Poultry Meat Pens and Poultry Layer Pens (5), Hogs (133) and Meat Goats (12).
Thank-you Notes
and Signs
- You'll see a box in the 4-H Exhibit Building (photo below). If you win any award (showmanship, grand/reserve champion, best quilt, etc.) there is a sponsor for that award.
- With your award (many of which are given out Sunday 8/16 starting at 2pm) the sponsor name/address will be given to you. Please write them a Thank-You note. We give out a TON of awards - and we would like to continue to do so. Please put your thank-you notes in this box.
- During the Livestock Sale, please have someone you know listening for the name of the person or business who buys your animal. As fast as possible (i.e. “immediately”) post some sort of flyer/poster/etc. at your pen saying “thank you ___ for purchasing my animal.”
- On sale day, there will be an information table set up in the lobby of the show barn with volunteers who will be tracking buyers as well. If you missed it, you can come there (not to the Sale Registration Table or the Sale Office) to find out who purchased your animal.
- A complete list of buyers, including the initial purchaser and any add-ons, will be posted by Sunday afternoon.
- Please write a thank-you note to all of your buyers (initial and add-ons) and place the stamped, addressed, un-sealed envelope in the thank-you box that will be at the Information Booth. Notes should include something about what you learned raising this animal, and what you plan to do with the money (not just “thank you for buying my animal.”)
- Each Club and FFA Chapter will be assigned to clean-up duty one day during the Fair
- (not the same day as your Café shift). Clean-up duty entails picking up trash in/around the livestock barns, show barn and bleachers, emptying trash cans, putting new liners in cans and trash in the dumpsters, rolling full big blue trash containers out to the front (east side) of the livestock barn, and generally making our space look professional and presentable.
- Volunteers are needed to sit in the 4-H Exhibit Building to keep an eye on the exhibits and answer questions. Contact Kris Handley if you are willing to help.
- Volunteers are needed to sit at the Livestock Sale information table during the week of the Fair. Heidi Kneib will come up with a schedule for 4-H clubs to assist with this.
Reminders
- 4-H Café: Every 4-H club works at least one shift. Please check with your 4-H club leader to volunteer. Parents, please make a homemade fruit pie (especially apple) to sell in the 4-H Café during the fair. Only homemade – no store bought pies. Drop them off on Interview Day, Saturday, August 8 or bring them in with your Club’s shift.
- Dress Code: (pg. 53, #29) Clothes must be neat and clean. Dark pants, a white collared shirt with long or short sleeves. The following will not be allowed in the show ring: hats, torn clothing, sleeveless shirts, t-shirts, tank tops, halter tops, bare midriffs, open toed shoes or tennis shoes. All Exhibitors in the Show Ring must be dressed as stated above.
- Fitting: (pg. 53, #24) Exhibitors are expected to fit their own animals, however, parents or other members may be asked to assist.
- Showmanship: (Beef, Hog, Sheep, Goat) All market animal members are automatically entered in showmanship. If you do not wish to participate, members must cross their name off the posted showmanship list no later than one hour after the market class show in which they are participating. Failure to not scratch in time will result in the loss of premium money.
- Market Lambs: Lambs must be sheared within 10 days of the fair. Check with your Sheep Project Leader or Club Leader.
- Premium Money: Please refer to Premiums on pages 7-8 of the 4-H fairbook. Premium money will be available to pick up at the Fair Premium Bank on the fairgrounds on Sunday, 8/16. Deadline to pick up premium money is Friday, August 21 by 4:00 pm at the Fair Office.
Information
- The 4-H/FFA Premium Book
- Open Class information is online at the Fair’s website
- Some Sale Marketing information, and a list of last year’s buyers and donors is online here:
See you at the Fair!
