Jackson County 4-H Fair Schedule set

In just a few weeks, the Northeast Kansas Heritage Complex will be abuzz with the sights and sounds of Jackson County’s 4-H youth bringing out their livestock, food and other projects for all to see at the 97th-annual Jackson County Fair.

“We are pretty much back to ‘normal,’ whatever normal is,” said Deb Dillner, Jackson County Fair Association secretary, regarding the schedule for this year’s fair, which includes a wide variety of 4-H and open class exhibits, a carnival, a rodeo and the fair parade.

The latter will honor longtime Meadowlark District Extension agents Jody Holthaus and Nancy Nelson, both of whom retired from the Extension office in Holton last year, as grand marshals.

“It’s a very well-deserved honor,” Jackson County 4-H Program Manager Cara Robinson said of Holthaus and Nelson being named parade marshals. “They’ve both given a lot to the 4-H program over the years and through Extension. It’s their time.” 

A new feature of this year’s fair is a post-parade concert on Wednesday, July 27, and Dillner noted that the fair association is “in the process of nailing down the details.”

The main focus of the fair, however, is Jackson County’s 4-H program, and the county’s 4-H youth are preparing their livestock, food projects and other crafts to show in this year’s fair, with pre-entries due at the Meadowlark Extension District Holton office by this Friday, July 1.

Apart from the 12th-annual Jackson County Fair Rodeo on Friday and Saturday, July 8 and 9, the fair’s dog show, set for Sunday, July 10, and the horse show, set for Saturday, July 23, the bulk of fair activities will take place between Monday, July 25 and Thursday, July 28, following the fair’s “traditional schedule.”

Carnival rides and games will be provided by Great Plains Amusement of Rush Springs, Okla., which is bringing its amusements to the fair for the third time, it was reported. The carnival will be open after 5 p.m. starting Tuesday, July 26, and running through Saturday, July 30.

This year’s fair schedule, subject to change, is listed below, and all activities will take place at the Heritage Complex unless otherwise indicated.

* Friday, July 1: 4-H and FFA pre-entries due online.

* Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9: Jackson County Fair Rodeo, starting at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

* Sunday, July 10: dog show, 10 a.m.

* Tuesday, July 19: pre-fair judging, 9 a.m., at Holton Elementary School.

* Wednesday, July 20 and Thursday, July 21: pre-registering open class quilts at JM Sewing Center on Holton’s Town Square, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Friday, July 22: open class quilt judging at JM Sewing Center, 10 a.m.

* Saturday, July 23: horse show, 8 a.m.; fair set-up with all clubs represented, 9 a.m.; bucket calf conference judging, noon; clothing buymanship display set-up, noon to 4 p.m.

* Sunday, July 24: woodworking check-in, noon to 3 p.m.; hay bale decoration, noon to 5 p.m.; clothing buymanship display set-up, noon to 5 p.m.; 4-H arts and crafts check-in, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; livestock unloading, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; meat goat and sheep weigh-in, 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; meat goat and sheep meeting in barn, 6 p.m.; hay bale display judging, 6 p.m.; open class exhibit check-in, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; rabbit check-in deadline, 7 p.m.; beef meeting in barn, 7 p.m.; beef weigh-in, scanning and check-in, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

* Monday, July 25: swine meeting in barn, 7:50 a.m.; swine weigh-in, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; 4-H exhibit check-in for non-pre-fair exhibits, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.; open class exhibit check-in, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.; 4-H foods judging begins, 8:30 a.m.; rabbit show, 9 a.m.; 4-H food sale begins, 9:30 a.m.; open class exhibit judging begins, noon; 4-H building exhibit judging begins, 1 p.m.; check-in for all 4-H pre-fair judged exhibits, 1:30 p.m.; poultry judging, 2 p.m.; Ambassador Spin the Wheel (building), 3 p.m.; Holton Recorder photos of food champions, 3:30 p.m.; building awards presentation, 5 p.m.; Kiddie Tractor Pull registration, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.; 4-H meat goat and sheep show, 6 p.m.; 4-H food auction, 6 p.m.; Farm Bureau Kiddie Tractor Pull, 7 p.m.

* Tuesday, July 26: 4-H swine show, 8:30 a.m.; Ambassador Spin the Wheel (barn), 11 a.m.; Holton Recorder photos of champion building exhibits, 3 p.m.; Ambassador Spin the Wheel (building), 3 p.m.; 4-H beef show, 5 p.m.; livestock intent to sell deadline, 30 minutes after conclusion of beef show.

* Wednesday, July 27: dairy goats and dairy cattle judging, 8 a.m.; bucket calf show, 9 a.m.; Animals On Parade, 10:30 a.m.; Ambassador Spin the Wheel (barn), 11 a.m.; 4-H and open class pet show, 11:15 a.m.; Barnyard Olympics with Ambassadors, 2 p.m.; Livestock Row of Champions in their stalls, 5 p.m.; parade, 6 p.m. on Holton’s Town Square; concert, 8 p.m.; 4-H style revue, 8:30 p.m.

* Thursday, July 28: Ambassador Spin the Wheel (barn), 8:30 a.m.; livestock judging contest, 9 a.m.; round robin showmanship, 12:30 p.m.; set-up for livestock sale, 2 p.m.; livestock check-out, 2:30 p.m.; livestock sale, 6 p.m.; 4-H and open class exhibit check-out, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

* Friday, July 29: fairgrounds clean-up for all 4-H clubs and pick-up of exhibits not picked up Thursday, 8 a.m.

For more information, contact Robinson at (785) 364-4125.