The Fourcast

The FAIR edition of the 'Fourcast' is an update of showcase events for the upcoming Hubbard County Fair. Please take time to read this newsletter.

All showcase information is listed in the 2026 Hubbard County 4-H Showcase Schedule! This document includes a complete list of 4-H shows, events and deadlines.

If your household has a question or concern about anything related to 4-H, please connect with 4-H staff at the Hubbard County Extension Office by calling 218-732-3391 or emailing mnext-hubbard@umn.edu.

We have open volunteer spaces on showcase events and Fries For 4-H Fundraiser time slots. If you have not signed up to volunteer, please do so now! Thank you to those who have already signed up to volunteer-we so appreciate it!

To volunteer with the 4-H Showcases, review the available volunteer opportunities in our 4-H Showcase Volunteer Opportunities document and add a “comment” with your name, or your family member’s name, for the roles you are planning to fill as a volunteer. To volunteer, you do not need to be a screened volunteer with Minnesota 4-H - and even youth can help out, too! If you are not sure what is all involved in a given role, check out the Volunteer Role Descriptions for more information.

While volunteering is not a requirement, we strongly suggest that all 4-H households consider volunteering their time for at least one volunteer shift during the week of the fair to help all of the 4-H events run smoothly for the sake of our youth's positive experience.

REMEMBER: All 4-H households with youth hoping to receive a 4-H Leaders Council event scholarship to a regional- or state-level showcase event, like State Fair, State Horse, State Dog, or State Shoot, must have someone from their household volunteer with the Pre-Fair Setup on Monday, June 29, at 5:00 PM, with the Post-Fair Cleanup on Sunday, July 19, at 8:00 AM, and at one 4-H showcase event at one of the showcase opportunities (opportunities are listed in this document).

Questions can be directed to the Hubbard County Extension Office at 218-732-3391 or mnext-hubbard@umn.edu.

Did you know that 4-H'ers who showcase at the county level also have the opportunity to earn a trip to state and/or regional 4-H showcase events? Following each judging experience or show, the judge will create a State Event Lineup for their given project areas judged based on the quality of the exhibit and the youth's presentation of the exhibit. For any given project area, Hubbard County is allotted a certain number of trips, called our quota, that can be awarded based on the size of our program. These State Event Lineups will be posted in the 4-H Exhibit Hall where youth can either opt to accept or decline their awarded trip(s). The 4-H State and Regional Showcase Information document outlines eligibility for these trips as well as the dates and costs associated with each of the events. If your 4-H exhibit places within the allotted quota of state event trips, you'll need to either accept or decline the awarded State 4-H Event trip by noon on Saturday, July 18, 2026. For more details on policies surrounding accepting State 4-H Event trips, please check out the State Fair or State Show Eligibility rules on page 11 of the 4-H Premium Book.

Please note that, as of May 1, some of the costs associated with each event have not yet been updated. Those highlighted in yellow are still being finalized at this time. Please check back later for an updated version of the 4-H State and Regional Showcase Information document.

If you love the state fair atmosphere or would just like to take in the experience that the 4-Her's have, here is your chance! For the 4-H youth who advance to the State Fair, they have the opportunity to stay in 4-H-provided housing while at their encampment, and we need screened volunteer chaperones to watch over these youth and help provide a great experience for them during their time at the great Minnesota get together! As a thank you to our chaperones, Hubbard County 4-H will pay for your lodging (4-H-provided housing), meals (4-H-provided in the dining hall), and mileage reimbursement for the travel to and from the fairgrounds! If this sounds like a role for you, please consider completing a State Fair Chaperone Interest Form or contacting the Extension Office!

Registration for 4-H State Horse Show needs to completed, submitted to the state and paid for before the end of the day on July 21. Please make arrangements with Hubbard Co 4-H staff before July 21, to complete and submit registration paperwork.

Registration for the Minnesota State Fair (general & livestock encampments) and NE Livestock Show will be on Wednesday, July 22 at 6p, in the Hubbard County Extension Conference Room.

Only checks will be accepted, please bring a blank check for each event registration.

A great one-stop resource that our Extension Office has developed over the last year is the Hubbard County 4-H Family Resource Folder, which is filled with key information on our local 4-H program. Within this Resource Folder is a sub-folder just for the 2026 Summer Showcases! In this 2026 4-H Showcase Resource folder, you'll find things like:

• The 2026 Hubbard County 4-H Premium Book
• The 2026 4-H Showcase Deadlines and Schedules
• FairEntry Exhibit Registration Information
• Volunteer Sign Ups
• 4-H Premium Auction Fundraiser Information
• ...and more!