State Fair Info
Important State Fair Deadlines & Events - 2023
April 10 Project registration opens for ALL projects/exhibits
May 5 Project registration in FairEntry CLOSES for ALL projects/exhibits
May 15 4-H member enrollment deadline; Animal ID deadline; Livestock Quality Assurance Training deadline
May 18th 8:30 - 12:00 Food Revue, Fashion Revue, Performing Arts Revue and Demonstrations judging.
1:30 pm Performance.
June 12 Hennepin County Fair (Cloverbud & General/Static projects) In-person judging, 2:30-7:00 PM
June 13 – 15 Hennepin County Fair at Corcoran Lions Park
June 18 State Fair project registration deadline for all general projects
July 29-30 Hennepin County 4-H Dog Show
August 3 Hennepin County 4-H Horse Show
August 10 State Horse Show & State Dog Show registration deadline
State Fair FAQs
Who gets a State Fair Trip?
State Fair trips are awarded to 4-H’ers who:
Have completed 6th grade. (With several exceptions of State Dog Show, Share the Fun, Arts Alive, Engineering Design Challenge, & other non-overnight experiences)
Have met the required deadlines of 4-H enrollment, project registration in FairEntry, & livestock requirements
All youth participating as a State Fair 4-H livestock exhibitor in beef, dairy, sheep, swine, poultry, rabbits, meat goat, dairy goat, and lama must have completed a livestock quality assurance training in which there are two training options 1) a 3 hour in-person workshop (LQA&E), or 2) a 1 hour on-line training (YQCA). Youth completing either quality assurance training option will receive a certificate of completion & must submit to 4-H Staff at the Hennepin County Extension Office by June 1.
Demonstrated a top-quality exhibit & have received at least a blue ribbon (generally).
How many State Fair trips can ONE 4-H’er take?
Per Minnesota 4-H Policies, State-Fair-qualified 4-H’ers may participate in State Fair activities in the following ways:
Dual Trip Policy - 1 Livestock Project &/or 1 General Project
And any or all* of Share the Fun, Demonstrations, Arts Alive (Arts-in), Cooking events, animal science education exhibits, judging teams
*Please note that participation in two or more activities may not always be possible due to schedule conflicts of judging times, which rarely can be re-negotiated. Please review the schedule in the State Fair packet prior to accepting your State Fair trip(s).
How do I accept or decline a 4-H trip?
On the State Fair Trip display board in the 4-H Tent, 4-H’ers will accept or decline their State Fair trip(s) using designated colored dot system:
Green - Trip is accepted - & now will go & complete paperwork!
Yellow - I’m an alternate, & would accept a trip if a spot became available
Red- I’m declining this trip, because
I’ve accepted another project to take to the State Fair
I cannot attend State Fair
Other (no explanation needed!)
We believe this system will help youth understand the variety of projects available to them, and allow opportunities to share successes with other 4-H youth!
How many 4-H'ers can go to the State Fair from Hennepin 4-H?
The Minnesota 4-H State Fair Administration designates the number of State Fair trips in each project area for each County's 4-H program. General project trip numbers are calculated based on project enrollment in 4-H Online, and livestock trips are based on previous project showcase season numbers in FairEntry.
See Quota info below!
State Fair Quotas
The Minnesota 4-H State Fair Administration designates the number of State Fair trips in each project area for each County's 4-H program. General project trip numbers are calculated based on project enrollment in 4-H Online, and livestock trips are calculated based on previous year’s local showcase’s exhibitor number in FairEntry.
Visit Hennepin County 4-H's Project Quota Sheet to see how many trips are available. Please note that many project areas go unfilled each year! Consider trying a new project area to increase your opportunity to showcase at the State Fair! And don't forget you need to have completed at least 6th grade and received a blue ribbon in order to be eligible!
