All About Redwood County Fair

Updated 7/05/2026

Clubs wanting/needing alternative dates/times please contact 4-H office at 507-637-4025

Valley Blazers:

Food Stands & Grills - detailed cleaning list available in food stand. Cleans both food stands, grills, counters, dishes, floors, walls as needed, hangs curtains, wipes down seating area.

• Food Stand Deck - 2026 - Thank you Valley Blazers!

Springdale Climbers (2nd) & Milroy Go-Getters :

Note: Whenever possible we will schedule two clubs for set up. This will include a two year rotation so one club always has experience with set up.

Exhibit Building - sets up the stage, sweeps floors and walls, removes spider webs, dust, etc from walls, doors, display equipment. Sets up display and judges tables and game stations. Bring rags, swiffer dusters, brooms - barn brooms especially needed.

Shooting Sports and Wildlife:

Grounds Crew - cleans up litter, garden areas, may do some flower planting, weed trimming, wildflower area maintenance. Focus area is around all the 4-H buildings but should include the fairgrounds in general. Bring gloves, garbage bags, rakes, weed whips.

Animal Science Exhibitors

Barns & Show Arena: Animal Science participants should plan to help clean your respective barns and help with the show arena as directed by your species superintendents.

• July 9, 2026
• 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. Later appts may be available upon request and need. Click here to sign-up.
• Location: First United Methodist Church, Redwood Falls, MN 56283

Project Books Required: Include patterns, pictures of your process, music, etc See also the Redwood County 4-H Premium Book.

• Clothing and Textiles
• Performing Arts
• Needlework
• Make your project book into a record and add either a Basic Project Record or Experienced Project Record to your binder/folder. Cloverbuds may submit a project record as well.
• Records qualify for record judging and premium

General/Static Projects

Monday July 13

• General/Static Project Judging
• All project areas including pets
• Does not include beef, dairy, dog, goat, horse, Poultry, Rabbit, Sheep, or Swine live animal projects
• 2:30 pm - 7:00 pm
• Redwood County Fairgrounds, 201 North Dekalb Street, Redwood Falls MN 56283
• Concessions available
• No appointments Needed for this general judging event.

Tips for General Project Judging:

• Remember conference judging is the time to tell your story about your project. It is okay to let the conference judge know what went well, what you might do differently next time.
• Greet your judge with a smile, handshake, and letting them know your name
• When speaking to the conference judge look at the person and speak clearly so they can hear you.
• Conference judging can take 10 - 15 minutes for most projects except the early judging events which is why we schedule appointments.
• Members are asked to limit their projects to 5 at a time for 1 judge to allow others to continue with their conference judging experience.

Alternative Judging Times Needed

• Alternative Judging dates are available if attending an educational event/experience. Please contact Stacy J at 507-637-4025 and we will work out a solution together.

• Due July 16, 2026 - NOON: Pay camping rental fee of $175 with
• checks written to the Redwood County Fair Board.
• Provide payment directly to the Redwood County Fairboard.
• Your camping location includes 1 on grounds parking space.
• Your rental does NOT include entrance onto the fairgrounds
• Arrival: After 5 pm Tuesday July 14, 2026- Campsites are assigned by the fairboard.

4-H Families Awarded Fairgrounds camping sites:

Ethan/Jayden Carlson Family, Determann Family, Ben/Suzanne Lightfoot Family, Katy/Brandon Lightfoot Family, Coudron Family, Meghann/Shaun Kodet Family, Dustin/Allison Larsen Family, Krista/Paul Zeug Family, Theresa/Scott Hacker Family, Kristi / Trent Baker Family, Darwin/Gabby Strong Family, Ken Johnson / Jackson Guggisberg & Family, Taylor Mattison Family, Kurt/Claire Meyers Family.

Contact your club food stand coordinator for details on the shift and job duties. Friendly reminder all 4-H members and families are asked to help at the fair food stands. Thank you in advance for participating!!

• 😎Sign up for the Talent and Fashion Show?
• Show is held on Sunday July 19 at 1 pm
• All youth are welcome to participate
• Sign up by 11 am on Sunday July 19
• 4-H Office in the Exhibit Building

• 😀Pick up my Wristbands and/or Meal punch cards?
• Free Gate Entrance: July 13 - Thurs 16 at 12 noon members should pick up their wristbands donated by Farmers Union Industries from the fairgrounds 4-H office located in the general project exhibit building.
• Wristbands allow free fair entrance the entirety of the fair.
• Each youth participating in the Redwood County Fair will receive a free wristband AND each family will receive 1 free adult gate entrance for the week.
• Additional gate passes are available for $10/adult pass and $5 /youth 12-18 years pass
• Come to the 4-H Office in the Exhibit Building
• 😀Get my General Projects Judged?
• Monday July 13, 2026 at the 4-H Exhibit Building located on the Redwood County Fairgrounds
• 2:30 - 7:30 pm - come any time. NO appointments will be scheduled today.
• Food stand available - Strawberry Mixed Green Salad or BBQ will be available for purchase a long with soda/Gatorade. Water will be available for free thanks to Bayer for their generous donation!
• 😀Stall my animals?
• Either Wednesday July 15 between 3:30 - 5:00 pm OR Thursday morning July 16 between 7:00 - 9:00 am.
• Vet Check must be completed BEFORE entering the fairgrounds. This is a Board of Animal Health Requirement.
• Vet check line begins in the grassy parking lot to the west of the north most fair entrance gate across from the fairgrounds. Absolutely NO animals may come on grounds before completing the vet check.
• 😀When is my animal show? See the button below called County Fair Schedule of Events.
• Remember to check for barn meeting days/times - info available on the schedule and in your species barns on your white boards.
• 🐼🐕Celebrate our Cloverbud and 3rd Grade graduates?
• Saturday July 18, 2026 at 1 pm
• Join us for learning to make balloon animals and Lots of fun as we work with Totally Twisted Balloon Art!
• Refreshments provided
• Who can come? Anyone interested and all 4-H members/families welcome!
• 😀Learn more about my state fair trip?
• Saturday July 18, 2026 during the State Fair Orientation Meeting
• 4-H Exhibit Building at 3 pm.
• Refreshments Served.
• 😀When do I claim my State Fair Trip?
• Saturday July 18, 2026 Youth in grades 6+ earning a State Fair Trip must claim OR deny that trip by Saturday evening at 6 pm.
• We will have these trips posted by the morning after the general project judging event and following each animal species show.
• Feel free to contact 4-H staff with questions.
• We will post the state fair line ups via photos in our 4-H BAND App.

• Those exhibiting animals during the county fair:
• Remember health papers: Poultry papers, Horse Coggins, Registration papers
• Registration papers must be uploaded into 4-H online - 4-H Office can help with this.
• LQA&E must be completed prior to the first day of fair for youth grades 6+
• Animal ID must have been completed by May 15
• Poultry must be banded prior to entrance onto the fairgrounds
• Remember your show clothing -
• In 4-H we may not wear clothing that shows sponsorship to any type of business
• Always closed toed shoes
• NO shorts, NO pants with holes
• Contact your species superintendent with questions

• Animal Care Needs:
• Wheel Barrow
• Water containers
• Feed
• Bedding - 4-H provides wood chips for the species that want to use them. Direct questions to your species superintendent
• Pitchforks
• Horse participants need muck pails and forks to remove manure from the horse arena and the fairgrounds IN addition to keeping your stalls clean
• Some species have methods to help animals stay cool. Plan for hot weather and cross your fingers for cool weather!

• Auction:
• Youth who met the checklist in the auction handbook are welcome to participate in the 4-H Ribbon auction on Saturday morning - resource section has link to auction handbook.
• Wear close toed shoes, long pants (no holes), and your Corn and Soybean Tshirts

• Vet Check:
• This occurs on animal entry onto the fair grounds - Look for Signs across from the fairgrounds
• Your animals must pass a brief inspection by our vets. Often the vets keep the animals on the trailer.
• You can check in and stall your animals -
• Wednesday July 15 - 3:30 - 5 pm OR
• Thursday July 16 - 7 am - 9 am

• Trailers:
• Trailers MUST be off grounds by 9:30 am. Horse trailers must be off grounds within an hour following your horse show on Thursday.
• Trailers can be parked (I suggest locking them) in the grassy parking lot closest to the ball field OFF the sidewalk. Hitches should be placed on a support such as a 2 x 4.

We will use BAND App to provide regular updates to 4-H events and schedules for the day during the Redwood County Fair.

Barns and Show Arena : All participants assist in cleaning stalls and barns. You must receive approval to leave the fairgrounds from your species superintendent at the conclusion of the county fair. Many hands make light work and everyone can go home as quickly as possible following the fair. Participants should have your own wheel barrow, pitch fork, and supplies as needed to clean your own stalls and help with barn clean up.

Vesta Vikings:

Food Stands & Grills - cleans both food stands, wipes down counters, wipes out coolers, floors are swept, grills if possible are cleaned, detailed cleaning list is available and under the direction of the Food Stand Manager.

Sunktanka & Lamberton Leprechauns (2nd):

Exhibit Building Clean-Up - cleaning out display cases, folding tables, putting the stage away, and sweeping the building out, helping to load out the 4-H office area and initial set up for Dog Show.

If you or a 4-H participant need disability-related or other accommodations to participate in this program or have questions about the physical accessibility of the event location, please contact Stacy J at 507-637-4025 or email skjohnso@umn.edu at registration or at least 2 weeks prior to the program or event. Late notice may limit our ability to provide requested accommodations.