4-H Youth pose with winning sheep at the 4-H Fair

Youth winners of a 2022 animal showing contest.

4-H youth in the Fair's Junior Iron Chef Competition

Youth participate in the annual Junior Iron Chef cooking competition.

A 4-H youth fair participant with a large plant diorama

A fair participant looking over a large plant diorama.

A group of 4-H youth smiling at the fair

4-H Youth participating in a different kind of animal showing!

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Tompkins County 4-H Youth Fair

Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday, July 25, 2024, 9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday, July 26, 2024, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday, July 27, 2024, 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Tompkins County’s 4-H Youth Development Programs are preparing for their annual Youth Fair, to be held Tuesday-Saturday, July 23-27, at 4-H Acres, 418 Lower Creek Rd in Ithaca, NY. The week’s events include animal shows, junior and adult Iron Chef competitions, displays of creative projects in the arts and sciences, hands-on activities, delicious food and more. Admission and parking for the fair are free, and most events are open for all to attend.

For a week each July, the Tompkins County 4-H program hosts this entirely youth-run fair that gives local 4-H members an opportunity to display projects they’ve completed during the preceding 12 months, receive feedback and evaluation and potentially be chosen to move on and present their work for evaluation at the next level, the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.

Visitors will see live animals raised by 4-H members, including rabbits, cows, sheep, goats and dogs. In Kiwanis Hall, stationary displays present creative projects by 4-H members in the arts, animal and environmental science, textiles and more. Saturday’s events will include a chicken barbecue, a dog show, rabbit show and hopping competition, plant science activities and the fair’s awards ceremony.

Note: registration for all stationary exhibits, events, animals and contests has closed. Learn more at CCETompkins.org/4HFair.

Schedule of Events

(subject to change)

TUESDAY, JULY 23

11:30 am – 3:00 pm Country Kitchen Open
12:30 pm Kahoot Plant Science Challenge, virtual and in Kiwanis Hall
2:30 pm Kahoot Livestock Challenge, virtual and in Kiwanis Hall
4:00 pm Poultry Show

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24

10:00 am Goat Show and Showmanship
10:00 am – 2:00 pm Jr Iron Chef
11:00 am P.E.S.T. (Plant and Environmental Sciences Team) Activity
11:30 am - 3:00 pm Country Kitchen Open
2:30 pm P.E.S.T. Workshop/Activity
11:30 am – 3:00 pm Country Kitchen Open
3:30 pm PiNY (Produced in New York) and Public Presentations, Kiwanis Hall
6:00 pm Adult Round Robin, Pole Barn

THURSDAY, July 25

8 – 9:30 Country Kitchen Hot Breakfast
9:30 am Sheep Show and Showmanship
11:00 am P.E.S.T. Activity
11:00 am - 3:00 pm Jr. Iron Chef Contest, Kiwanis Hall
11:30 am – 3:00 pm Country Kitchen Open
1:00 pm Stuffed Animal Show, Pole Barn
2:30 pm P.E.S.T. Workshop/Activity
3:00 pm Hobby Horse Barrel Races
4:00 pm Kahoot Dairy Challenge, virtual and in Kiwanis Hall
5:00 – 7:00 pm Country Kitchen
6:30 – 8:00 pm Adult Iron Chef

FRIDAY, July 26

All Day Garden of Healthy Eatin’
10:00 am Dairy Showmanship & Show
11:00 am P.E.S.T. Veggie Art
11:30 am – 3:00 pm Country Kitchen Open
1:00 pm P.E.S.T. Workshop/Activity
2:00 pm Round Robin Showmanship Contest, Pole Barn
4:00 pm Kahoot Family and Consumer Science Challenge, in Kiwanis Hall
5:00 – 7:00 pm Country Kitchen Pulled Pork

SATURDAY, July 27

8:30 am Rabbit Showmanship, Rabbit Hopping, Pole Barn
8:30 am Dog Show
11:00 am Garden of Healthy Eatin’
11:00 – 12:00 pm Share the Fair Plant Science Activity; Hands On; at the Fair, streamed on zoom
11:00 am – 2:00 pm Country Kitchen; BEVERAGES ONLY
11:30 til it’s all gone Chicken Barbecue
2:00 pm Herdsmanship Awards, Pole Barn
3:30 pm Plant Science Awards Ceremony, Plant Science tent
4:30 pm Awards Ceremony; outside Kiwanis

Streamed Events Monday-Saturday

Visit the SharetheFair website built by a 4-H member at ShareTheFair.info to watch various animal and other contests streamed live on Tuesday-Saturday; program schedule subject to change.