For all the up-to-date fair info or events that happen at the fair, PLEASE sign-up for REMIND.

Text the word @boxbut to the number 81010.

You don't need the app. You will get texts right to your phone!

• Fair clean-up is Saturday July 27 STARTING AT 8 AM!
• All 4-H families are encouraged to help ready the buildings and grounds for the Fair. Bring rags, buckets, shovels, rakes, hammers, weed eaters and any other cleaning supplies that you feel would help your work go faster.
• The 4-H Council will be serving lunch at 11:00.
• PLEASE BRING A WATER BOTTLE!
• There will be a list in the breeze way of what needs cleaned and some go-to people if you aren't sure of what to do.

The main areas we will need to clean are:

• Livestock Barn
• 4-H Building
• Little Red Barn
• Horse Arena & Bathrooms
• Multipurpose Hall
• Sweep School Art Building

Thank you ALL for your cooperation in getting us sizes for new shirts this year. With such a huge order and some shipping delays on supplies shirts will probably be delayed in pick up. We are hopeful they will be done in time, just might be handed out during fair week. We hope they will be done next week, but I just wanted everyone to be aware of a potential later pick up timeline. Thank your for you cooperation and we apologize for the delay.

BB Gun/Air Rifle Shoot will take please Sunday, July 28 @ 10:00 AM at the Woolrich building just east of Alliance, turn at PREMA.

• Dress Code: GREEN 4-H Shirt, Jeans and close coded shoes, shoes that come above the ankle are not allowed.

• Box Butte County Fair Trap Shoot will take place at the Alliance Trap Club on Monday, July 29 starting at 5:00 PM.
• Exhibitors please arrive at 4:30 PM and bring your Raffle Tickets to Josh.
• Dress Code: GREEN 4-H Shirt, Jeans and closed toe shoes.

The Carcass Contest will be held at Meyring Cattle Company on EITHER Monday, July 29th or Tuesday, July 30th. Carcass projects will be entered & interview judged between 7:00-9:00 AM.

YOU MUST BE THERE BY 9:00 AM FOR YOUR PROJECT TO BE TAKEN!

• Please bring your Brand Papers or Bill of Sale or we will not be able to load your animal(s).
• Also if you have a Record book please make sure to bring that as well because the interview portion is part of your overall score.
• Please wear your GREEN 4-H t-shirt, jeans and closed toed shoes.
• Please see the potential questions and answers guide that might take place during judging. (see below)

If you have questions please let us know.

Superintendents: Teresa Sanders & Jay Meyring

FASHION SHOW JUDGING:

• Fashion Show Judging will take place August 1 starting at 8:30 AM!
  
• Models please be at the fairgrounds no later than 7:45 AM!
• You will be using the School Art building to change.

CONSTRUCTION:

• Judging will start at 9 AM and end at Noon.
• Items that need to come on Clothing Day include:

• STEAM 1
• STEAM 2
• STEAM 3
• BEYOND THE NEEDLE (including fashion accessories)
• SHOPPING IN STYLE
• ATTENTION SHOPPERS
• QUILT QUEST (including Barn Quilts)

Please be sure to include ALL REQUIRED extra information that can be found in the fairbook on our website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/boxbutte/bbcfairbook/

MUSIC CONTEST:

• This year we will judge music contest pieces from 1:00-2:00 PM on Thursday the 1st in the Multipurpose Hall and not during the night performance (note: clover kids don't need to attend afternoon judging).

CULINARY CHALLENGE:

• The culinary challenge contest will take place Thursday, August 1. We will start at 3:00 PM in the Multipurpose Hall.

PUBLIC FASHION SHOW & MUSIC PERFORMANCE:

• If you modeled during the day, you will need to model in the Public Fashion Show.
• The 4-H building will be open at 6:15 PM so models can get changed.
• Show will start at 7:00 PM!
• Clover Kids please be at the Multipurpose Hall by 6:45 PM.
• We will present ALL Clothing Construction, Modeling, & Quilt Quest Awards this night. Please make sure your award gets back to the 4-H Building so we can display them.
• Music Performances will follow the Fashion Show.

4-H’ers, we would love to have you participate in the Culinary Challenge Contest at the Nebraska State Fair! The contest will take place on Saturday, August 24, in the Raising Nebraska Building after the Fashion Show. 4-H’ers can register in ShoWorks (https://nebr.fairwire.com) until August 10th. The Culinary Challenge is located under the “4-H Personal Development and Leadership” department in ShoWorks. The 4-H Culinary Challenge Contest will require youth to demonstrate healthy decision making through nutrition, food preparation, menu planning, and food safety. A team will consist of two members to be eligible to compete.

Join us for the 4-H Culinary Challenge Contest at the Nebraska State Fair! The event is set for Saturday, August 24, in the Raising Nebraska Building following the Fashion Show. Registration for 4-H'ers is open in ShoWorks (https://nebr.fairwire.com) until August 10th, under the “4-H Personal Development and Leadership” section. In this contest, youth will showcase their skills in nutrition, food preparation, menu planning, and food safety, promoting healthy decision-making. Team consisting of two 4-H members will be eligible to compete. A challenge ingredient is selected each year highlighting a Nebraska food product. The 2024 challenge ingredient is soy!

More information can be found at:

· https://4h.unl.edu/state-fair/contest-participant

· http://food.unl.edu/food-projects

• Box Butte County 4-H Horse Show will take place on Saturday August 3 starting at 8:00 AM at the Bit & Boot Horse Arena.
• Check-in will start at 7:00 AM. Youth will get their exhibitor number, pattern book and program from the check-in volunteer.
• Please make sure to check the program so we can do scratch and adds during check in.
• Grand Entrance & acknowledgement of Flags will start at 7:45 AM.

• Cats will show first, followed by Dog show.
• Check in will start at 10:30 AM
• Exhibitors will be caging cats in cages provided by the superintendent.
• Exhibitors will be decorating the cage. Please make sure you have your curtains or something to cover the cage, your carpet, litter box, food & water, and any other decoration you need.
• Cats will be vet checked before the show in the Little Red Barn OR Breezeway.
• Cats need to remain on harness at all times.
• Clover Kids exhibiting cat need to have vaccination forms turned into the office.

If you have questions don't hesitate to ask.

Superintendent: Nancy Leider

• Dog show will be after the cat show.
• Check in will start around 1:00 pm.
• Dogs will be vet checked before their show.
• No dogs are allowed in the barn, other than the dogs being exhibited.
• Dogs must remain on a leash at all times.
• Clover Kids exhibiting dog need to have vaccination forms turned into the office.

If you have questions don't hesitate to ask.

Superintendent: Shawnda Connor

• All static items will be entered and judged this day starting at 9:00 AM!!

• JUDGING WILL BE FROM 9 AM - 1 PM. You must be on the sign in entry sheet by 1:00 pm to have your project judged.
• Judges will break for lunch. The Multipurpose Hall Judges will break at Noon and the 4-H Building judges will break at 12:30.

Items judged in the Multipurpose Hall include:

• Foods (Cooking 101-401, General Foods, Cake Decorating & Food Preservation),
• Photography

Items judged in the 4-H Building:

• Home Restoration/Visual Arts
• Human Development
• Cookie Jars
• Horticulture
• Misc. Ag.
• Clover Kids - starting at 1:00-3:00 pm

Clover Kid Pet Parade will start at 3:00 pm in the Livestock Barn

Cookie Jars:

• Enter through south 4-H Building to get cookie jars judged.
• Exhibitors WILL NEED to bring cookies to Cookie Jar Judging. You will need to bring a sample (1 of each of the kind of cookie) you are making for auction to judging on Tuesday.
  
• DO NOT put cookies in the jar. Exhibitors will receive a plastic container to put the cookies in for auction day & an information card, please bring this back Friday with your cookies in the container.
• DON'T FORGET to enter your foods project to be judged in the MPH. If you do not exhibit a foods project with your cookie jar you will NOT be eligible to sell your cookie jar. (We DO check for this). (Examples: 4 cookies of the same type on a plate or a loaf of bread or a double crusted fruit pie or even a cooking recipe file)!
• Exhibitors WILL sell cookies with their cookie jars.
• Juniors make 2 varieties (1 dozen each) of homemade cookies for a total minimum of 24 cookies
• Seniors make 4 varieties (1 dozen each) of homemade cookies for a total minimum of 48 cookies

Auction Cakes:

• Auction Cakes will check in on Friday, August 9th from 10-11AM.

Nebraska Bank will be clerking the cookie jar/cake auction. Buyers will NOT be able to pay for their purchase the day of the sale. Buyers will be invoiced by Nebraska Bank for their purchase 1-2 weeks following the fair. The Office will send out a message when checks are ready for pick up or when mailed. You will not get your check until all the buyers have paid for all purchases.

• Seniors Must line up at the 4-H building by 3:45 PM.
• Juniors must line up at the 4-H building by 4:15 PM.
• Wear your GREEN 4-H Shirt and Jeans!

The percentage withheld from cookie jar checks for advertising purposes is 4% this year.

We are going to need everyone's help to make sure our fairgrounds are clean. This includes: picking up trash in livestock bleachers, and around the area, tables cleaned and ground swept in the breezeway, trash cans frequently taken out and new liners replaced, livestock pens and alley ways cleaned, etc.

Please see the Fair Week Clean-up Schedule.

Poultry & Rabbit Check-in will be TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 FROM 9:00AM-1:00 PM.
POULTRY & RABBIT CHECK-IN

• ALL Poultry & Rabbits will Check-in Tuesday, August 6 from 9 AM-1 PM.
• If a bird or rabbit is taken home and is a Sale animal they will not be allowed to sell.
• All Poultry & Rabbits will sell as a retained ownership (premium sale). There will be no Resale for small animals.
• If exhibitors are wanted to get rid of their animals, superintendents have ideas of people that would take birds and rabbits.
• Poultry are only allowed to show in the 4-H Show OR the Open show. They are not allowed to be shown in both shows.

• Small Pet 4-H Show will be on Tuesday, August 6 starting at 2:00 PM in the Livestock Barn

BARN HOSTING:

• All exhibitors are responsible for hosting the Little Red Barn at least once during the fair week. You can sign up using the Signup Genius (link below) OR, new this year, families have the option to pay a $50 fee to opt out. Make checks payable to the 4-H Council. The fee will go towards the Small Animal Committee.
• Length of shift will be determined by the barn superintendent at fair-time. Length of shifts depends on the number of exhibitors participating in the county fair.
• Families must sign up or pay opt out fee prior to caging animals.

Rabbit/Poultry Show - Wednesday, August 7th

• Rabbit Show will be on Wednesday, August 7 starting at 8:00 AM
• Poultry Show will be on Wednesday, August 7 starting around 11:30 AM

• Sale pictures with your bird or rabbit will start at 10:30.

• Small Animal Round Robin will take place, Thursday, August 8 @ 5:30 PM, in the Multipurpose Hall.

Superintendents: Shawnda Connor & Susan Banks

Little Red Barn Superintendent: Rayann Tolstedt

PIGS: 6:00 AM-8:00AM Please use the East Door

BEEF: 8:00 AM-10:00 AM Please use North Door

SHEEP/GOATS: 8:00 AM-10:00AM Please use South door.

You have until NOON to re-weigh animals, and you only get ONE re-weigh per animal ONLY if it is under or over weight.

• All market Animals (especially sale animals) need to remain on the premises once weighed in.
• Breeding stock, stocker feeders, bucket calves, and dairy visit with your superintendent. It is nice to keep them in the barn for the public to see, if we have room for them.
• Exhibitors WITH breeding stock, stocker feeders, bucket calves, and dairy MUST check in with their superintendent and VERIFY what animal(s) they are bringing. We NEED this information to make the classes. This MUST BE DONE by NOON on Wednesday.
• Beef Exhibitors DO NOT FORGET TO BRING YOUR BRAND PAPERS OR BILL OF SALE TO WEIGH-IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At Weigh-in youth will receive a packet with your exhibitor number, safety pins, 2 sale cards, and the barn meeting letter. Please keep track of this!

We will have a Barn Meeting on Wednesday at 5:00 PM! Please be there!

Following the barn meeting we will celebrate fair week with a Mardi Gras parade. If you want to dress up your animal and participate please complete the form below.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8TH

• Pig Show: Thursday, August 8 starting at 8:00 AM - Showmanship followed by Market
• Meat Goat Show: Thursday, August 8 starting at 1:00 PM - Showmanship followed by Market
• Dairy Goat Show: Thursday, August 8 following the Meat Goat Show - Showmanship followed by class
• Unified Showing: Thursday, August 8 starting at 3:30 PM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 9TH

• Dairy Cow: Friday, August 9 starting at 8:00 AM - Showmanship followed by Classes
• Beef Show: Friday, August 9 starting at 8:30 AM - Show Order: Bucket Calves, Stocker Feeders & Breeding Beef, Showmanship, Market Classes
• Sheep Show: Friday, August 9 starting at 1:30 PM - Showmanship followed by Market

If you are showing a Bucket Calf please have your record books completed no later than Wednesday, August 7. You can give them to Ashley at the fairgrounds then.

OR

If you are finished prior to fair week, you can bring them to the Extension Office.

NEW format: will take place Friday, August 9 at 6:00 PM starting at the Bit & Boot Horse Arena. Exhibitors will exhibit the horse round at the horse arena first then there will be a 15 minute intermission for showmen to get their animals ready in the barn. This year 14 youth will compete in the Round Robin. The top 2 showmen in Horse, Pig, Meat Goat, Dairy, Dairy Goat, Beef & Sheep will compete for the Overall Large Animal Round Robin. We hope this change will give more youth the opportunity to compete for this esteemed honor.

Below is a tentative schedule and some general rules and regulations for Large Animal Round Robin. Also the rubric on what youth will be judged on.

Sale Order for 2024: Beef, Goat, Sheep, Pigs, Small Animals/Carcass

Sale starts at 1:00 PM

Buyers BBQ is from 11:00-1:00 PM. TNT BBQ is serving Brisket, Beans & Cole Slaw at $15 per plate or with a previous buyers ticket that was sent to 2022/2023 buyers via mail.

The 2024 Nebraska State Fair 4-H and FFA entry system is now open at https://www.statefair.org/ag-competitions/livestock-exhibitors/4-h-ffa-exhibitors/.

All LIVESTOCK, DOG, and IN-PERSON contest entries must be submitted by August 10TH at 7:00 p.m. MST. No late entries will be accepted!

Reminder Youth that are 8 4-H Age are eligible for state fair in-person contests.

Note: This is during our fair so be aware of the deadline!

Looking at the Extended weather forecast, the beginning of fair week and some of the events prior to the week are going to be in the high 90s - 100s.

Here are some tips for staying safe in the heat!

Ashley Fenning

4-H Assistant

astevens4@unl.edu

Melissa Mracek

4-H Educator

mmracek2@unl.edu

Katie Carter

Office Manager

ccarter27@unl.edu

John Thomas

Lead Crops/Water Educator

jthomas2@unl.edu

Summer Intern-Macala Hood

Summer Intern-Crystal Garza

Email: boxbutte-county@unl.edu
Website: boxbutte.unl.edu
Location: 415 Black Hills Avenue, Alliance, NE, USA
Phone: 308-762-5616
Facebook: facebook.com/BBCExtension

Instagram: @bbc.4h