Details about the Washington County Fair

• The Fair is July 25-30, 2023. The Fair is always planned to run the last full week in July.
• Many 4-H projects are judged the day before the fair starts (Monday, July 24)
• The Agricultural Industrial Society (AIS), a non-profit organization, runs the Washington County Fair along with other events at Fair Park.
• All entries/entry forms MUST be submitted to the Fair Park Office or Online by 4:30pm on Friday, June 30th, 2023. See Exhibitor information and online entry for more information on entering exhibits.
• What’s an exhibit tag? Where do I get my exhibit tags?
  • 4-H members receive an exhibit tag for each Fair entry they submit by the June 30th deadline. The tag will have key information about the item. Attach the corresponding exhibit tag to each item.
  • Pick up these tags from the Fair Office at Fair Park the prior to Judging Day.
  • If you can’t get into the office that Thursday or Friday, tags can be picked up Monday, July 24th (Judging Day) in the Ziegler Building.
• Judging Day
  • A majority of judging takes place on Monday from 1-7:00 pm in the Zeigler Building. Make sure you arrive early enough to get all of your exhibits judged before 7:00 pm. Some non-animal departments are judged on Tuesday and Wednesday. Make sure to check the Premium Book!
  • The Ziegler Building is split up into departments; look for big wooden signs hanging from the ceiling to indicate departments
  • Judging is first come, first served; go to the appropriate department and pick a number from the white wooden holder. There will be two sets of numbers. Pull from the top number. Bottom number is what number is currently being judged. If you have exhibits in multiple departments, collect all of your numbers right away and wait in the department where your number is closest. If your number gets called when you are in another department, check-in with a volunteer in that area and you will be called next.
  • You will sit down one at a time with a judge to have a brief conversation. The judge will provide feedback and tell you your placing and a corresponding ribbon color. Parents can take pictures of the judging, but are not a part of the judging process. See Face to Face Judging for more details on the judging process
  • If you receive a blue ribbon (1st place) you may be eligible for additional awards. Come back on Tuesday to see if you received one including grand champion, reserve champion, merit award, State Fair, or other special awards. These outstanding exhibits are designated with additional ribbons.
• Do 4-H families have to pay to go to the fair?
  • Youth exhibitors can order a $8.00 season pass when fair entries are submitted through Fair Park (due Friday, June 30th at 4:30 p.m.).
  • See Fair Premium Book for complete list of admission prices
• Exhibit Release
  • See 2023 Exhibit Release for details on when and how to pick up your exhibits at the end of the Fair

4-H Action & Promotion Center at the Fair

This is an opportunity to engage community members attending the fair in a hands-on activity and promote 4-H. Clubs, countywide projects, and families are invited to organize a small group, 2-4 members (any age) and 1-2 adults, to cover one shift. There are 20 shifts. Shifts are two hours in length and available Tuesday, July 25 -Sunday, July 30. Sign up here: 4-H Action & Promotion Center Sign Up

Action is the key to the success of the “4-H Action and Promotion Center.” Clubs/projects/families create and provide their own activity, or can request one from the 4-H Educator/Extension office. The activity should be hands-on and attract fair goers to the booth. This is an opportunity to ask the youth running the booth what they’ve learned in their projects this past year and how they could teach others and share a favorite activity.