2026 Buffalo County Fair 4-H Schedule of Events
Events for July 21-22
Buffalo County Fair Begins!
Dog Show, Small Animal & Cat Show and More!
Tuesday, July 21
8 a.m.-8 p.m. Pavilion Open for Stall Setup - NO LIVESTOCK
8 a.m. 4-H Dog Show and Agility Course (Entries begin at 7:30 am) at Exhibit Building & Expo East Arena
9 a.m. 4-H Small Animal and Cat Show (Entries begin at 8:30 am) at Extension Building
4-7 p.m. Entry for all 4-H Static Entries at Extension Building (Family and Consumer Science, Science & Technology and Horticulture)
Wednesday, July 22
7-9:30 a.m. Entry of 4-H Horticulture/Floriculture & Crops at Extension Building
7-8 a.m. Entry for 4-H Foods ONLY, NO LATE ENTRIES ACCEPTED
8 a.m. 4-H Horse Show at East Arena (Speed events, English, Showmanship, Western)
9 a.m. Journals for the 2 & 3-year-old Western Pleasure Class due
8:30-11:30 a.m. Interview Judging - 4-H Family and Consumer Science, & Science and Technology exhibits - sign up prior to fair starting July 1
10-noon Lottery Pig and Lottery Goat Exhibitor Interviews
10 a.m. 4-H Horticulture/Floriculture & Crops Interview Judging followed by exhibit judging at Extension Building
1-8 p.m. 4-H Family and Consumer Science & Science and Technology Non-Interview Judging at Extension Building
6 p.m. Early stalling of large livestock - Beef/Sheep/Goat/Swine/Dairy
Events for July 23-24
Check Out 4-H Exhibit Building - Opens at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 23!
Livestock Weigh In, Cake Walk, Pie Auction, Fashion Show and More!
Thursday, July 23
8-10 a.m. Enter 4-H Market Lambs, Meat Goats & Breeding Sheep
8-10 a.m. Enter 4-H Dairy/Dairy Goats
8-10 a.m. Enter 4-H Bucket Calves, Feeder Calves, & Jr. Bulls (Bucket Calf record books due at check-in)
8-12 Noon Enter 4-H Market Beef & Breeding Beef
9-12 Noon Complete 4-H Family & Consumer Science, & Science and Technology and Club Exhibit set-up at Extension Building
11 a.m. Weigh 4-H Market Hogs – All hogs must be in place
1 p.m. Cake Walk at Extension Building
1-9 p.m. Extension Building Open to view 4-H Exhibits
2 p.m. 4-H Dairy Goat Showmanship & Judging followed by Dairy Showmanship & Judging at Pavilion
3 p.m. 4-H Clover Kid Bucket Calf Show, Bucket Calf Judging, Feeder Calves & Jr Bulls Judging at Pavilion
5:30 p.m. 4-H Decorated Cake - Pie Auction – Fashion Show – Exhibit Building
Friday, July 24
8-12 Noon 4-H Rabbits/Poultry Check In at Rabbit/Poultry Barns
8 a.m. 4-H Lottery Sheep Showmanship, Sheep Showmanship, 4-H Breeding & Market Sheep Judging followed by Clover Kid Sheep Show at Pavilion; following the sheep show: 4-H Lottery Goat Showmanship, Goat Showmanship, Breeding & Market Goat Judging followed by Clover Kid Goat Show at Pavilion
9 a.m.-9 p.m. Extension Building Open to 4-H Exhibits
Noon Judging of Rabbit/Poultry Static Exhibits in Rabbit/Poultry Barns
Events for July 25-27
Enjoy the Last Days of the Fair!
Poultry Show, Swine Show and 4-H BBQ (all 4-H exhibitors & families welcome!)
Saturday, July 25
8 a.m. 4-H Beef Showmanship, Breeding Beef Judging & Market Beef Judging at Pavilion
8 a.m. 4-H Rabbit Showmanship & Judging at Exhibit Courtyard
9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Extension Building Open to view 4-H Exhibits
10:30 a.m. Clover Kids Show & Tell at Extension Building
Sunday, July 26
7-8 a.m. 4-H Broiler/Production Turkey Check In at Exhibit Courtyard
8 a.m. 4-H Poultry Showmanship & Judging at Exhibit Courtyard
8:30 a.m. 4-H Lottery Pig Showmanship, Swine Showmanship, Breeding Gilts, and Market Swine Judging at Pavilion
Noon Poultry – 4-H Egg Quality Check In at Exhibit Courtyard
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Extension Building Open to View 4-H Exhibits
5-6 p.m. Pictures for Outstanding Exhibitors at Pavilion
5 p.m. 4-H Rabbits and Poultry Released
5 p.m. Presentation of 4-H “Outstanding” Awards and Round Robin Showmanship Contest at Pavilion
4-5:30 p.m. Release of all 4-H Static Entries, Family and Consumer Science, Science & Technology and Horticulture; NO EARLY RELEASE
8 p.m. Dairy Animals and any non-saleable animals can be released.
Monday, July 27
(Non-sale Market & Breeding animals can be released)
11:30 a.m. 4-H Appreciation BBQ for all 4-H youth and their families - Sponsored by Bankers Association.
1:00 p.m. 4-H Premium Livestock Auction at Pavilion: Sale order is Swine, Goat, Sheep, and Beef
County & State Fair Livestock Resources
Exhibiting livestock at the Buffalo County Fair requires ID sheets, Quality Assurance, Premise IDs, and Pre-fair entries (pay for bedding). For a checklist of what livestock exhibitors must complete by June 15, check out Lil' Green's To-Do List.
Quality Assurance - All QA has to be done by June 15 in order to show at county and state fair.
EVERYONE showing Beef, Swine, Sheep, Goats, Dairy, state fair Poultry, county fair broilers and production turkeys, and state fair Rabbits need to have their quality assurance training in order to show at the Buffalo County Fair and the Nebraska State Fair. Please give the Extension Office your certificates of completion so we can get you checked off. For more information on YQCA requirements and testing, please click here. To complete the annual training, visit https://yqcaprogram.org/. Need help finding your certificate? FIND MY CERTIFICATE
Premise ID - All Market animals will need to have a Premise ID on file with the Extension Office. Please go to https://nda.nebraska.gov/adt/premises.html to obtain a Premise ID. Please contact the Extension Office once you have received your Premise ID.
Nebraska State Fair
****NEW FOR 2026**** Exhibitors planning to show the same animal at both the Nebraska State Fair and the Aksarben Stock Show (AKSS) must submit TWO SEPARATE DNA envelopes and online nominations.
State Fair Animal Nomination/Identification Requirements - Find step-by-step instructions for nominating your livestock for state fair exhibition and how to pull DNA for Cattle, Sheep, Goat and Swine.
State Fair Online Nominations through Show Stock Manager are due online by June 15. All DNA envelopes need to be handed into the county office by June 15 to show at State Fair.
County Fair Static Resources
Buffalo County Fair Premium Book
