Delaware County Fair

August 12-17, 2024, Delaware County Fairgrounds, Walton, NY

Fair Entry Requirements

All 4-H animal entries are due in the Extension office no later than 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, 2024. There will be no entries accepted after this date/time. This deadline includes all dairy, livestock, horses, and small animals. There will be no exceptions made per the 4-H Program Issue Committee.

Fair Pass

4-H members (12 years and under) are admitted to the fair free!
Enrolled 4-H animal exhibitors and Youth Building 4-H teen helpers that are 13 years of age or older, can receive a Free 4-H Photo ID Pass to enter the fairgrounds.
To obtain a 4-H pass, 4-Hers must submit a photo of themselves (preferably a school photo) with their fair entries by Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The fair passes will be good for the entire week of fair and will be available for pick up at either the Youth Building on Sunday, August 11 between 1 – 4 pm; or at Gate B upon entry to the fairgrounds on Monday, August 12.
If a teen received a free pass and does not show their animal at the fair or help in the Youth Building they will not be able to receive a free pass for the 2025 fair season.
If we do not receive a current photo by July 24, 2024 – the 4-Her will need to purchase a fair pass.

Judging Hours for Youth Building 4-H Projects

4-H exhibitors can bring their projects to the Youth Building to be judged at the County Fair on:

Times TBA

4-H Youth Building exhibits must be in place by 5pm on Monday, August 12

All Youth Building exhibits must remain in place until they are released on Saturday evening at 8 pm.

4-H Animal Check-In and Release Times

Check-In Times:

4-H Beef Cattle must be in place by 5 pm on Sunday, August 11, 2024.

All other 4-H species must be in place by 5 pm on Monday, August 12, 2024.

Release Times:

4-H Horses and Ponies are to leave the grounds immediately after the 4-H Horse Show is over, or by 7 pm, whichever is earlier, unless they are to participate in the Open Show AND have paid a stall fee and camper fee in advance.

All Other Species:

1st Release: 4-H AUCTION animals may be released FOLLOWING completion of the 4-H Livestock Auction.

2nd Release: All other 4-H SWINE will be released FOLLOWING the release of the auction animals.

3rd Release: ALL OTHER 4-H ANIMALS and YOUTH BUILDING EXHIBITS must stay in place until 8 pm.

Animal Exhibit Signs

All 4-H animal exhibits must show that they are 4-H animals. Acceptable ways of demonstrating that you have a 4-H animal include: filling out a 4-H stall card for each animal (available from the Extension Office/Youth Building); putting a 4-H sticker on your animal signs; drawing a 4-H symbol on your animal signs; or any other creative way that show that the animal is a 4-H exhibit.

If your exhibit does not show that they are 4-H animals by Tuesday morning of the fair, you will receive zero points for herdsmanship every day until you do indicate that they are 4-H animals.

Club Banners for Fair

We would like to display your club banner in the Youth Building during fair week. Please have your banner to the Extension office by July 23, 2024 so we can hang it up in the Youth Building. If you would like your banner for the 4-H parade, just let us know and we will have it ready for you to pick up in the Youth Building on Tuesday. See 4-H Clubs for more information.

4-H Livestock Auction Reminder

Exhibitors with market animals that will be sold at the 4-H Livestock Auction on Saturday need to complete a 4-H Livestock Auction Project Record and hand it in to the 4-H Program Helper by 5 pm on Monday of fair week. No late Project Records will be accepted per the 4-H Livestock Advisory Committee. Animal(s) with late or no Project Record handed in will be entered into a non-auction class and will be disqualified from the 4-H Livestock Auction. See 4-H Livestock Auction for more information.

4-H Parade

If your club would like to participate in the parade, please let us know so that we can take your banner down from display in the Youth Building and have it ready for you to pick up. You MUST write a short commentary highlighting what your club has been doing (Tip: Write it in third person. For example, Write “The XZY Club has been . . . ” as opposed to saying “We” or “Our Club”). This will be read as your club marches by the grandstand. This year’s 4-H Parade will take place: Tuesday, August 13 at 6:30pm

Project Records & Exhibit Cards

These are required for each project. When getting your projects ready for fair, be sure to…..

Check the Fair Book for limits set on number of projects you are eligible to enter.
Complete a General Project Record or Cloverbud Project Record form for each exhibit. Download these on our 4-H Forms & Links Page.
Complete an exhibit tag for each project. These can be picked up at the Extension office before-hand or are available in the Youth Building at fair.

Project Records give more meaning, accountability, and value to the project being done. This one-page sheet is mandatory for each project entered in the Youth Building at county fair. The best way to do Project Records is to take a few minutes after completing a project during the year to fill them out so that the project and form will be ready to take to the fair. In addition, some fair-goers enjoy reading the stories behind the projects. Need more convincing? Here are a few other great reasons to complete project records:

They help 4-H members keep track of what projects they have done and when.
They are a simple learning tool that will help prepare 4-H members to talk to the judges at the fair. (The Project Record will not actually be judged, but the child’s knowledge of what they did will.)
Project Record questions are the same as those required when one of your projects receives the honor of being selected to go on to State Fair. If selected all you have to do is transfer the information to the green state fair form.

To Clarify: If you are doing a gardening project of any kind (flower or vegetable) you can fill out one Project Record sheet for the entire garden. You do not have to fill one out for a public presentation. 4-H members are encouraged to use Project Record forms for all of the projects they do in their clubs and at home, but they are in fact required for each project entered in the Youth Building at county fair. Remember, we are an educational institution and just like every other organization, we need checks and balances. Thank you to all who have given positive feedback concerning the Project Record sheet.