Do you love whipping up your favorite foods at home? Do you get excited about planning a party around a fun and creative theme? Now’s your chance to bring those talents together in the 4-H Favorite Foods Contest!
Jo Daviess County 4-H and Stephenson County 4-H are teaming up to launch this brand-new, hands-on competition—open to all youth ages 8–18 from either county. This is your moment to show off your creativity, cooking interest, and flair for design!
Participating in this contest will give youth the opportunity to:
- Design a creative, themed table display
- Practice proper table-setting skills
- Plan a nutritious, well-balanced menu
- Express originality and showcase their unique style
- Discover more about foods, nutrition, and food safety
- Deliver a short, fun presentation to the judge about their display and what they learned
It’s a friendly competition designed to spark imagination, build confidence, and make learning deliciously fun!
For more information about the contest, visit https://go.illinois.edu/4-HFavoriteFoodsContest and download the rules and tip sheets.
The event will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at the Elizabeth Community Building, 402 West Street, Elizabeth, IL. Contestants are encouraged to arrive at 1 p.m. to set up their table displays. Judging begins promptly at 2 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to all participants. Register by February 8 to reserve your spot by visiting https://go.illinois.edu/4-HFavoriteFoodsContest or calling the Jo Daviess County Extension Office as (815) 858-2273 or the Stephenson County Extension Office at (815) 235-4125.
Come cook, create, and celebrate with us—we can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.