4-H Blast

Each York County 4-H Member planning on exhibiting items at the 2026 York County Fair will need to fill out a pre-fair entry form. These forms are due to the Extension Office by 5 pm Friday, July 3rd.

Please list ANY and ALL items you are considering to bring to the fair as exhibits (you can find the online Fairbook HERE). You are not held to bringing all of your pre-entry items, but you will not be able to exhibit something you did not mark down. Items will be entered, and tags printed, within the following couple of weeks. Watch the Blast and Social media to see when they are ready for pick-up.

Clover Kids do NOT need to write down all items being brought. You will need to mark down any Fair contest you would like to participate in, capture down "yes" or "no" if you are brining static items, and - if you would like your name in livestock programs - please capture those events down, too. Clover Kids showing livestock/small animals will need to fill out one of those corresponding forms, too.

WHAT IS PRE-ENTRY?

Fair pre-entry is submitting information about any exhibits and contests you may do before the fair begins. This year, there are hard copy forms in the Extension office, along with fillable PDF forms below.

There are separate forms for static entries (4-H), Large Animal Livestock (Beef, Sheep, Goats, Dairy, Swine), Small Animal (Dogs, Cats, Companion Animals, Chickens, Rabbits), and Clover Kids.

WHY DO WE USE THE PRE-ENTRY METHOD?

The pre-entry method is used for several reasons.

• First, exhibitors do not need to fill out tags for the fair; the entry tags are generated by extension staff using the pre-entry forms. The tags can be picked up prior to the entry day if you choose. This allows you to secure the tags to your exhibits before arriving at the fairgrounds on entry day.
• It also allows staff to strategize, allocate enough space for each department, and ensure enough judges are hired.
• The pre-entry process allows volunteers and staff to use modern technology to aid in the entry and awarding process.

Below you will find the fillable PDF forms. They work best using a computer - we cannot guarantee they work using a phone.

All forms are to be submitted to the Extension office - or emailed to Macee (macee.parrish@unl.edu) - by July 3rd at 5 pm!

Sign-ups for interview judging will be opened on JULY 10TH AT 8:00 AM. This will be the new date each year for sign-ups to be released.

What is interview judging?

Interview Judging is an opportunity for a youth to sit with a judge and share information about their static entry projects. These interviews are capped at 15 minutes each with 10 minutes for the interview and 5 minutes for judges to write responses.

Are they required?

No, interview judging is NOT required and it does NOT reflect your ending ribbon placing.

How do I sign up?

On July 10th, there will be an email that will come out with links to a sign-up genius form. Each division or area within the static entries will have their own sign-up genius form. Please read the form instructions carefully to make sure you are signing up correctly and for your intended area.

How many items can I showcase during my interview?

Due to time, you are allowed to show 2 items per interview.

How many interviews can I sign up for?

Due to an increased interest in interview judging, time restrictions, and number of judges, we are setting new limits on how many interviews you can have.

Tuesday Home Ec (Max number)

• 1 Photography interview
• 1 Family Consumer Science Interview (which includes Heritage, Citizenship, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Seeing i2i, Communications, Theater Arts, Child Development and Safety)
• 2 total interviews in Home Design & Restoration (Design Decisions, Heirloom Treasurers, Visual Arts, Celebrate Arts, Design my Place, and/or Workshop)

Wednesday Home Ec (Max Number)

• 2 Interviews Total (across Foods 101, Foods 201/301, Foods 401, Cake Decorating, and Preservation)

Tuesday and Wednesday Ag Hall

• 1 Interview per Division (example - Woodworking; Rocket, Science, & Engineering; Gardening & Herbs; Flowers; Environmental Education)

How do I do Interview Judging if I am also doing Bike Rodeo or Casting Contest?

Your interviews take precedence to your contest. Those running the Contest understand that you are interviewing and will allow you flexibility to finish your interview prior to the event.

If I forget to sign up for interviews, can I still do them during entry day?

Walk-in availability will be subject to judge numbers and current sign-ups. There will be more updates on entry day.

Want to make sure that you are staying up-to-date on all of the key, important dates during the 4-H year? Join our SportsYou group(s) to make sure you never miss a thing. We use these groups to share only important information you will need to know, like upcoming pre-fair entry information, workshop details, and more. You can join whatever groups meet your personalized 4-H journey. Please reach out to the Extension Office with any questions!

Consider participating in the Online Horticulture Identification Contest. This event will be available online for youth to participate in between June 9th-23rd. There are three parts to this contest:

1. Identify plants by common name from a plant list.

2. Knowledge quiz in the form of true/false or a multiple choice quiz.

3. Judging or placing vegetables or containers of flowers based on condition, quality, uniformity, true-to-type, and size.

To learn more, you can find details at Online Horticulture Judging Contest | Nebraska 4-H | Nebraska

Jenny Rees - jrees2@unl.edu

Amanda Hackenkamp - amanda.hackenkamp@unl.edu

Macee Parrish - macee.parrish@unl.edu

Laurie Linabery - llinabery2@unl.edu

Email: york-county@unl.edu
Website: https://york.unl.edu
Location: 2345 North Nebraska Avenue, York, NE, USA
Phone: (402) 362-5508
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unlextensionyork/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @yorkneextension