Delaware State Fair 4-H Exhibits
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The Delaware State Fair is a terrific opportunity to showcase your projects and achievements!
Join us at the fair in July!
All youth enrolled in the Delaware 4-H program are eligible to exhibit articles made as a part of project or activity work and participate in demonstration and judging programs outlined in this department of the Fair.
Contests
Archery is a popular shooting sport for 4-H Club Members. The Delaware State Fair provides the opportunity to showcase their skills in the following contests: Barebow, Recurve and Compound. Contestants are arranged in groups based on age as of January 1st: Senior (ages 14-19), Intermediate (ages 11-13) and Junior (ages 8-10).
Qualifications: Youth must be ages 8-19 years old, and be participating in a 4-H Archery Club or other 4-H Shooting Sports activities. Participants must have been through 4-H Shooting Sports Archery training camp, club or outreach activity.
- Delaware State Fair: Archery Contest Rules and Guidelines Manual
- Delaware State Fair: Archery Contest Rules and Guidelines - Brief
- All participants of this event must complete the 4-H Archery Contest Hold Harmless Agreement
Think you know a lot about poultry? Why not test your knowledge in an avian bowl contest?
Held annually during the Delaware State Fair, the Delaware 4-H Avian Bowl is a quiz bowl style competition. Teams of up to four individuals compete against each other answering questions related to rearing, nutrition, breeds, of various poultry species, waterfowl and pet birds and all things egg related. Specific study sections are released each year to help youth focus their learning.
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The Delaware 4-H State Consumer Bowl Contest is conducted annually to support learning in all 4-H financial and consumer education projects. 4-Hers who want to participate in this contest should enroll in the Financial Champions and Consumer Savvy project areas. Teams of 2-4 people will showcase their knowledge at the Delaware State Fair in July.
4-H CLub Leaders will enter their Teams under their 4-H Club name using the online entry system found on the Delaware State Fair's Exhibitor page.
Detailed information to prepare for the contest is available at State 4-H Consumer Bowl Guide.
Dairy Expo
Normally held in early April at the Delaware State Fairgrounds, the Spring Dairy Show is open to youth and adult exhibitors from the Delmarva Peninsula. This event gives youth an opportunity to get early experience exhibiting their project animal(s). Entries are typically due in March.
The Rate of Gain contest awards the 4-H and FFA members whose market animals had the best average pounds per day gained from weigh-in at tagging in May until weigh-in at the Delaware State Fair. This event is open to all enrolled traditional age Delaware 4-H or Future Farmers of America (FFA) members. The 4-H and FFA Rate of Gain Educational Contest is sponsored by the Delaware Farm Bureau.
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Skill-A-Thon and Judging Contests are designed to support the learning that is taking place in a project area. Skill-A-Thons teach critical thinking and decision-making skills. These skills are valuable to young people as well as adults as they must make decisions every day. Youth who excel in county contests may advance to compete at the Delaware State Fair.
Skill-A-Thon Contest Guides
Animal Science Judging Contest Guides
Resources for Skill-A-Thon and Judging Contests
The State 4-H Talent Show is held during the Delaware State Fair.
Selection of acts will be made on a first-come, first-served basis based upon when an entry is submitted. Shortly after the June 1st entry deadline, you will receive a confirmation email and a talent details form that needs to be completed and returned.
Presentations will be by both Individuals and Groups. 4-H members may only participate in ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, NOT BOTH.
For GROUP acts, register under the 4-H Club name.
For INDIVIDUAL presentations, there will be two age categories. Age is determined as of January 1 of the current year.
- Beginner (ages 8-12 years old)
- Senior (ages 13-19 years old)
Cloverbud members are permitted to participate but cannot compete. Green participation ribbons will be awarded to all Cloverbud members.
All talent show acts will be limited to a 2-minute maximum set-up time. Talent acts must not exceed 5 minutes.
All equipment needed for the talent presentation is the responsibility of the performer.
All participants of this event must complete the
4-H Tractor Driving/Lawn Tractor Driving Contest Hold Harmless Agreement.
Lawn Tractor Contest
This event is designed to give 4-H members an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the areas of lawn care, business management, and lawn and garden tractor (less than 20 Hp) operation, maintenance and safety while competing with other 4-Hers. Safety is stressed throughout the contest.
Tractor Driving Contest
The Farm Tractor Driving Contest is designed to give 4-H members the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of tractor maintenance and skill in operation, and compete with other 4-Hers; a written test, tools/tractor parts ID, two-wheeled manure spreader, and a four-wheeled trailer event. Safety will be stressed throughout the contest.
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) is a national quality assurance education and certification program. The program focuses on animal well being, proper medication and drug use, recordkeeping and life skill development related to livestock projects. This certification is required on an annual basis in order to enter and exhibit a market goat, market hog, market lamb and a market steer at the Delaware State Fair.
Delaware State Fair Results
Sponsored by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD). The suggested size of the educational display should be approximately 24” high x 30” deep and 36” wide. Entry is open to all young people, ages 8 through 19, and displays may be entered by an individual or group. The topic of the display is based on a State Envirothon Competition topic.
Presenting or speaking before a group or audience is an important life skill to develop. Delaware 4-H alumni often credit their experience with 4-H Public Speaking and Demonstration Contests as a reason for their success in public and professional life. 4-H Public Speaking contests begin at the county level. 4-H members select a topic, research facts, and present timed speeches, graduated in length as required by their age division. 4-H contestants are judged on a variety of criteria. The contestant with the highest score in each age category advances to the state-level contest held during the Delaware State Fair.
Samples of the 2021 4-H Public Speeches
A playlist of the speeches in order of age groups filmed at the Delaware State Fair: youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=com.synechron.udel.models.functions.SubstrAfter
This contest allows 4-H members to showcase their many talents as individuals or as a team. These talents range from singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, or even performing a skit.
Contest courses are designed to sharpen 4-H’ers ability driving farm tractors, as well as maneuvering and pulling machinery. The contestants are judged on their ability to correctly and safely operate the machinery through a series of obstacles in a given time limit. Youth aged 14-19 may enter both Farm Tractor and Lawn Tractor Driving contests.
Clubs throughout the state work together to design and coordinate window displays to be put out in the community during National 4-H Week in an effort to promote 4-H and recruit new members. The top three window displays from county competitions are invited to bring their displays to the state fair.