BENTON, Ill.— The Franklin County Fair is right around the corner and our 4-H youth are gearing up for the annual event. Local 4-H participants “learn by doing,” and the fair is their opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout their time in 4-H as they display their projects. 4-H youth who raise beef, swine, sheep, goats, dairy and poultry for their annual projects can showcase them at the livestock show. For the show, the following number of animals will be on display: 145 goats, 80 cows and steers, 30 sheep and 195 swine.
Their finished projects are then auctioned at the livestock auction, which is open to the public. The auction directly benefits local 4-H youth as they receive the full proceeds from the sale of their livestock. There will be 89 animals up for auction at the 2019 auction as there is a limit of three animals per participant. Participants will be showing in about 245 different classes and projects. Unless otherwise noted, the following activities will take place at Franklin County Fairgrounds, located south of Rend Lake College:
July 11- Tractor Driving, Cat and Dog Show
July 12- Foods Show (at the Franklin Co. Extension Office), Rabbit and Poultry Show
July 13- General Projects & Clothing, Crops Show
July 14- Horse Show, Archery Exhibition and Shotgun Exhibition (at the Rend Lake Shooting Complex)
July 15- Dairy Show, Dairy Goat Show, Meat Goat and Pygmy Goat Show, Swine Show
July 16- Sheep Show, Beef Show, Steer Show
During the evening on Tuesday, July 16, 4-H members, their families and even community members can enjoy a fun night with games for all ages like egg toss and shovel races in the arena. The jam-packed week ends with a 4-H Youth BBQ on Wednesday, July 17 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. The BBQ, hosted by the Franklin County Extension and 4-H Support Committee, begins at 3:30 pm and goes until 7:00 pm The cost is $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids (10 and under) and the meal includes a BBQ sandwich, beans, slaw, chips, dessert and drink.
4-H members will have the opportunity to display their projects at the Illinois State Fair. Participants may also exhibit at the State Fair junior livestock show. The State Fair events take place in Springfield, IL on August 12. All 4-H shows are open to the public and free to attend, so the community is encouraged to come out and support our local youth!
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, contact your local registration office. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting your needs.
News source: Cindy Bauman, 618-439-3178, bauman1@illinois.edu
News writer: Heather Willis, 618-357-2126, hdwillis@illinois.edu