Senior Fair

Fairfield County Fair Guys & Gals Sheep Lead Show: Entries due 10/1/2023

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Fairfield County Guys & Gals Sheep Lead Show will take place October 11th, 2023 at 6:15 p.m. in the Feeder Creek Vet Show Arena at the Fairgrounds.

Wool is a versatile fiber with endless diverse uses from clothing to industrial insulation.  The purpose of this competition is to celebrate the end product of wool in clothing. The  Fairfield County Guys and Gals Sheep Lead Show is open to sheep lovers ages 3  through adults. Entry classes include individuals and pairs in traditional garments as well  as a special costume class which can be individual or a pair.

Entrants may wear handmade or purchased outfits. They should be a fiber content that  is majority wool. You may decorate your lamb to coordinate with your outfit.

Entrants do not need to be Fairfield County residents and may be sponsored by a local  producer. There is no entry fee to participate. Sheep must be purebred ewes or market  lambs that are conditioned, fitted, and trained to show at halter. Decisions of judges are final and score sheets will not be made available.

Judging: Entrants will be judged according to the following: Garment construction, style, and fashion accessories 30%. Entrant’s poise, appearance and garment suitability 30 %. Originality of outfit and participant description 10%. Control of animal, presentation, and appearance of animal 30%.

To enter, please complete google form at the following link: https://forms.gle/EXG7X9WnyV4m2WnS6 by October 1st, 2023. If you have any questions, please contact Natalyn Wymer at 740-407-1420 or landisnatalyn@gmail.com

2023 Fairfield County Skillathon Scheduling is Now OPEN!

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The Fairfield County Junior Fair will require the completion of at least one Skillathon per 4-H/FFA exhibitor in order to show at 2023 Fairfield County Junior Fair for all beef, dairy, goat, poultry, rabbit (except Pet Rabbits), sheep, swine, dog, horse, alpaca/llama projects.
The Fairfield County Skillathon event will be held September 9th and 24th at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds. For additional Skillathon information, please review the 2023 Junior Fair Book.
  • Fairfield County youth interested in competing for any Fairfield County Premier Exhibitor Award must complete the COUNTY Skillathon in each respective specie they play to compete in.
    • Example: Exhibitor wishes to compete for Swine Premier Exhibitor Award and Poultry Premier Exhibitor Award must complete both the swine and poultry Fairfield County Skillathons on September 9th (swine) and 24th (poultry).
    • For more information about 2023 Premier Exhibitor Contests, please review this area of the 2023 Junior Fair Book.
  • Youth will be asked to complete a tiebreaker question at Skillathon – this will be used to break ties for Premier Exhibitor and/or Skillathon if needed.
  • Skillathon Species for Saturday, September 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. include: Beef, Dairy Beef, Swine, Sheep, Meat Goats, Dairy Cattle
  • Skillathon Species for Sunday, September 24th from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. include: Pygmy Goats, Dairy Goats, Horses, Alpacas/Llamas, Poultry Rabbits
  • Dog Exhibitors will complete the Skillathon at Dog Check-In Day on Saturday, August 26th from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Please note that Skillathon times are meant to schedule exhibitors throughout the day and we will do our best to stay on track with time. It is important for families to stick to their Skillathon time to keep our lines moving efficiently. Exhibitors will have 5 minutes per station and should be completed with Skillathon in 20-30 minutes ONCE they start through their respective Skillathon line.
  • Fairfield County Skillathons will take place at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds.
  • Scheduling for Skillathon is now open – click here to schedule for each Skillathon you wish to participate in: http://go.osu.edu/signup4skillathon.
  • Skillathon Awards: The Top Junior and Top Senior Skillathon Winner will receive an award. Additionally, the Top 20% of Juniors and Seniors will receive a ribbon at their respective specie’s show at the fair in October.

FairEntry is OPEN – Fairfield Co. Fair Entries are due August 25th!

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FairEntry (https://fairfieldjrfairoh.fairentry.com) is now open to take entries for the 2023 Fairfield County Junior Fair. Entries will be open through 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Friday, August 25th.

4-H families will log in and make entries for their entire family using their 4-HOnline login information. If they also have a child in their family that participates in FFA only, they are able to make their entries using the same login. Please remember you will be using your 4-HOnline login information NOT creating a FairEntry login. Fair entries need to be made for all livestock, horse, dog, companion animal, cakes, pies, candies, alfalfa/hay, gardening projects that plan to be exhibited at the Fairfield County Junior Fair.

  • Exhibitors who participated in 4-H summer judging projects ONLY do not need to complete fair entries as your project is marked complete for this year.
  • 4-H Advisors who do not have their own children enrolled in 4-H will not be able to login in to FairEntry.

FFA families will need to create a FairEntry login to create entries for their entire family. FFA exhibitors will be responsible for making their own livestock/horse entries through the online FairEntry submission process. County Ag Teachers will submit all shop/crop projects on behalf of their chapter and these respective projects should not be made through the FairEntry process by an exhibitor.

Please review this entire packet prior to beginning your entry process:

Please view the following videos to assist you with the entry process: For FFA only families!

If you have issues or questions regarding or during the process please contact Haley Black at black.768@osu.edu.

  • Fairfield County Fair Entries may be entered from August 7 – 25, 2023. Be sure to complete your entries (including the final “Submit” step) prior to 11:59 p.m. Central Time on August 25, 2023.
  • Register all entries for each exhibitor in the family before proceeding to the Payment section. No fees are charged for entries, the Payment section is part of the submission process.
  • Be sure to click the “Submit” button when you have completed your entries. Entries are not final until they have been submitted.
  • Check your email inbox for a submission confirmation email with a list of your entries.
  • You will receive a second email when your entries have been approved by the Fairfield County Fair.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Showmanship age is age as of January 1st, 2023. Even if a member is IFFY about Showmanship right now, encourage them to sign-up. They can always scratch at fair.
  • In the case of HORSES and ALPACAS, their showmanship class is where they earn their grade and there must be an entry in showmanship before any other class in that department.
  • In the case of DOGS, members must have an entry in You and Your Dog before any other class as this is where they earn their grade.
  • School Grade cannot be changed (doesn’t really matter)….because it carries forward from 4-H enrollment which should reflect grade as of 1/1/2023.
  • Rabbit Entries – If bringing two pens of market rabbits, they need to have 2 entries for market rabbits. When adding the animal, identify pen 1 as “Pen 1” and identify pen 2 as “Pen 2”.
  • All animal entries should be made with the number of animals you PLAN to bring to fair so that Show Committees can plan for pen space. Example: I tagged in THREE pigs for live show back in July, I make TWO entries for the live show. Even if you don’t know which pigs for sure right now, enter the two you think you are bringing. If you end up bringing the backup, we will switch tag/sex on the hog when it checks in/weighs in at the fair.
  • If a member is 4-H AND FFA they should make all entries at the same time with their 4-HOnline login. When starting the entry, you can select which 4-H Club or FFA Chapter the entry should be matched with.
  • If an entry is sent back to the family to correct – IT IS NOT APPROVED. They should receive an email about what needs to be fixed, fix it, and resubmit their entries (invoice).
  • It is helpful for 4-H families to add all exhibitor entries to their “invoice” and review before submitting for approval so we can review everything for the family at one time. There are no fees for Junior Fair, the program just refers to the submission as an invoice.
  • We have seen a couple invoices submitted with NO ENTRIES attached to the exhibitor. That’s great, but we need their entries. 🙂 You must select the green “add entry” button once they proceed with the entry process for each child. Add all entries before submitting. If you forget something, it’s okay. We have until August 25th to get entries in!
  • go.osu.edu/fairfieldfairentry

Reminder: No Leasing of Market Animals

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As a reminder to all Junior Fair exhibitors, there is no leasing of market or breeding animals for the Fairfield County Junior Fair. The animals must be owned by the exhibitor.

The only exceptions include. Please review the Junior Fair Book for additional details and dates: go.osu.edu/fairfieldrulebook

  • Dairy Goat (breeding)
  • Dairy Cattle (breeding)
  • Horses
  • Alpacas/Llamas

Ohio Department of Agriculture – Exhibition Ownership Rules Clarified

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Complete list of rule updates: Ohio Youth Livestock Exhibition Rules 4.17.23

Leasing MARKET animals for youth exhibition projects is NOT permitted under any circumstances.

Ownership
For market animals, dairy animals, and owned (not leased) breeding livestock:
1. An animal cannot be used by more than one youth member per project year.

2. The same animal cannot be used for more than one project per project year (i.e., a single heifer cannot be shown as both a market and a breeding project).

3. An animal may only be exhibited by the project member in any junior livestock exhibition, including at the Ohio State Fair.
a. Excludes show/class conflicts at the exhibition, “showman of showmen” type classes, or extenuating circumstances. Check with local exhibition sponsor to determine what circumstances may qualify.
b. For junior fair classes where education or charity is the purpose (e.g., pee wee, special needs, Dean’s Charity Steer Show, etc.), ensure that the exhibitor is involved in the mentoring of the individual showing the animal in that class.
c. Refer to “junior livestock show/exhibition” definition above.

4. In shows outside of “junior livestock show/exhibitions,” a project animal may only be shown by the youth exhibitor or family members. If shown by a youth outside of the immediate family, this constitutes a change in ownership.
a. “Family” means the immediate family of an exhibitor, including but not limited to the exhibitor’s parent, step-parent, foster parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, foster grandparent, brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, half-brother, half-sister, son, daughter, step-son, step-daughter, or legal guardian.

5. All market, dairy, and breeding animals exhibited at a junior livestock exhibition must be fully owned by the exhibitor or household as defined in OAC 901-19-39 as evidenced by a bill of sale or registration, including all showing rights, and in the complete custody and care of the exhibitor on or before possession deadlines.

6. Ownership of an animal shall be considered lost if the animal has been:
a. Leased to a different individual (not the project member) after the applicable possession date,
b. Consigned to or sold through an auction or any other type of transaction that takes place prior to the junior livestock exhibition, after the applicable possession date even if the animal is bought back by the exhibitor.

7. The exhibitor is expected to fully provide daily care for their animal(s) from the possession deadline to the conclusion of the exhibition/sale. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring adequate access to clean, fresh water, feed, and shelter while ensuring good health and welfare of the animal. If not possible, in extenuating circumstances, the exhibitor is responsible for contacting the local Extension office and/or FFA advisor to ensure transparency. Additional paperwork may be necessary, as determined at the local level (i.e., Ohio 4-H Livestock Care Agreement

Volunteer Position Open: Junior Fair Meat/Market Goat Superintendent (Apply by February 3rd)

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POSITION OPEN: FAIRFIELD COUNTY JUNIOR FAIR MEAT/MARKET GOAT SUPERINTENDENT(s)

This is a VOLUNTEER POSITION.

If you are interested in an opportunity to develop leadership and organizational skills and be an active participant in planning the Fairfield County Junior Fair, we would encourage you to apply for the position of Junior Fair Meat/Market Goat Superintendent. We are looking for individual interested in working with the Senior & Junior Fair Board and staff to provide the following duties:

  • Operate the Junior Fair Meat/Market Goat Show during the Fairfield County Fair
  • In December, review the rules for the Junior Fair Meat/Market Goat Show and assist in updating rules to meet current industry standards.
  • In January, work with Junior Fair Director to develop tagging plan.
  • Work with schedule and operation of the July Tag in for goats.
  • Provide input to the Skillathon event as needed.
  • Develop a communication instrument with exhibitors through email through out the year on upcoming events related to the meat/market goat show. Database will be provided.
  • Assign and schedule pen assignments for goat exhibitors.
  • Plan and conduct with your committee the meat/market goat show at the fair.
  • Coordinate meat/market goat showmanship.
  • Complete all required documents regarding meat/market goat show results and champions.
  • Work with sponsors and their commitment to award sponsorship.
  • Seek with assistance new award sponsors for new award areas.
  • Work closely with Junior Fair Director, Fair Manager, and 4-H & FFA leadership.
  • Follow up in early September non-sponsored awards and assist in finding sponsors.

Skills required:

  • Excellent communication and organization skills.
  • Timely follow up on calls, emails, or problems.
  • Ability to work alongside volunteers, Junior Fair Board Members, parents, and exhibitors of all ages.
  • Computer skills utilizing spreadsheets and word processing skills.
  • An outgoing personality that will be the spokesperson for the Junior Fair Meat/Market Goat Program.
  • Work in a cooperatively with the Senior Fair Board, Junior Fair Superintendents, OSU Extension Staff, and 4-H & FFA leadership.

Applicants should send a resume with cover letter to Doug Shell, Junior Fair Director at lshell171@gmail.com by Friday, February 3rd 2023.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee and selected applicants will be interviewed.

And the 2022 Fairfield County Fair Scarecrow Winner is….Helga!

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In cooperation with the Fairfield County Senior Fair Board, Visit Fairfield County and the Fairfield County Master Gardeners scarecrows were created to welcome visitors to the Fairfield County Fairgrounds in 2022.  4-H clubs were challenged to create scarecrows representing their club or highlight some of their 4-H projects.  Sixteen total scarecrows were displayed from local FFA Chapters and 4-H clubs.  The Qualtrics survey created for voting captured nearly 80 emails plus gave us the knowledge that our County fair visitors/respondents voting were from 5 Ohio Counties with one respondent as far away as Plymouth County, Iowa.  The winner of the 2022 “First-Ever” Fairfield County Fair scarecrow Contest was “ Helga..The Poultry Barn Scarecrow.”

COME VISIT THE SCARECROWS at the Fairfield County Fair!!!

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New this year to the Fairfield County Fair..a scarecrow trail at the 2022 Fairfield County Fair, thanks to a partnership with Visit Fairfield County and the Fairfield County Fairboard.  Here’s the scoop… we are asking our Junior Fair Exhibitors and Royalty to help us educate fairgoers by creating their own scarecrows highlighting their livestock species or special interest at the County Fair Competitions.  The scarecrow voting will take place the week of the Fairfield County Fair, October 9-15!!  All fairgoers at the 172nd Fairfield County Fair will be encouraged to take a minute to look for the scarecrows around the livestock barns and historical buildings and VOTE for their favorite scarecrow!!  The goal of this contest is to have FUN and educate our Fairgoers a bit about the livestock and youth organizations that are a large part of our Junior Fair program.  The scarecrows will only be on display during County Fair Week.  Come out and join the fun at the Fairfield County Fair..it is THE place to be the second week of October! !