The Hall County Agriculture Society (Hall County Fair Board) assumes responsibility for the overall management of the Hall County Fair. The Hall County Fair Board assumes no responsibility for any personal injury that may occur to those exhibiting or attending the fair.
Alcohol is prohibited in 4-H youth spaces where youth are and where youth exhibits are on display, including animal exhibit areas in and outside of barns, and any static exhibit area or building. Alcohol consumption is limited to the Hall County Fair Board designated areas.
To keep the Hall County Fair safe for all participants, generators cannot be utilized within the buildings on the fairgrounds. Please abide by the following fire regulation: According to Fire Code Section 313.1 IFC: Fueled equipment shall not be stored, operated or repaired within a building. Equipment including, but not limited to: generators, portable cooking equipment (unless UL approved for indoor use), lawn care equipment, motorcycles, and any equipment utilizing propane tanks.
The rules and regulations governing 4-H club work as outlined by Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will be followed unless otherwise stated. The Hall County 4-H Council and Hall County Fair Board have the right to make additional rules and regulations when needed. The respective superintendent has the authority to make appropriate decisions based on the 4-H Premium List and Nebraska State Fair rules. In case of a dispute, the decision of the Hall County 4-H Council Protest Committee and the Hall County Fair Board is final. Protests will not be accepted more than 24 hours after the conclusion of the 4-H activity/event. Protests regarding a fair exhibit will not be accepted after the exhibit is released from the Hall County Fair. The Protest Policy is available at the Hall County Extension Office.
4-H exhibits at the Hall County Fair are entered and displayed at the risk of the 4-H member. Hall County Extension and 4-H Council, in cooperation with the Hall County Fair Board accepts exhibits and will exercise due care to protect them; however, the Extension Office, 4-H Council and the Hall County Fair Board cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage due to the conditions imposed by large crowds, the arrangement of the buildings in which displays are housed and the great number of exhibits. 4-H members who have exhibits of great sentimental and/or monetary value should carefully consider whether such exhibits should be exposed to the hazards of the fair.
4-H members are not allowed to sleep in the barns overnight. Youth violating rules and/or destroying property may be excluded from the Hall County Fair without premium money.
Clover Kids (4-H age 5-7) are eligible to participate in the Hall County Fair in non-competitive classes (refer to Department X). No premiums are given; however, special participation ribbons will be awarded. All regular 4-H members who exhibit at the Hall County Fair must be 8 by December 31 of the previous year or become 9 years of age during the current year. The last year of eligibility is the calendar year the member becomes 19.
Specific rules and guidelines for exhibiting in each project area are included in the general information section for the area in the premium book. All entries must be made since the previous year’s fair. 4-H members are required to pre-enter static exhibits, livestock and small animals by the designated deadline.
All exhibits of regular 4-H members will be divided into groups according to merits. Purple awards will denote a superior exhibit. Blue awards will denote an excellent exhibit. Red will denote a good exhibit while white will denote an acceptable exhibit. Refer to the specific department in the premium book for premium awards.
Awards will be given to the highest individual exhibit, where provided. "Champion" or "Grand Champion" titles are awarded at the judge's discretion.
4-H Exhibits, including static and animal exhibits (excluding dogs, cats, small pets, horses, cow/calf pairs and feeder calves), must remain on the fairgrounds for the duration of the Hall County Fair. Exhibits must stay in their respective exhibit areas until the designated release time unless permission is given for early release by the Hall County Fair Board. All static exhibits must be picked up promptly at release time. We appreciate 4-H family cooperation in following exhibit release rules.
All animals must have proper identification as specified by the Hall County 4-H Council and the State 4-H Office in order to be eligible to show at Hall County Fair. All beef, bucket calves, swine, sheep, goats, rabbits & horses must be properly identified at the 4-H office by June 15. Retags: If an animal loses an ear tag, the exhibitor must contact the office at least 24 hours before county fair check-in to get a new tag and change the ID sheet. If the exhibitor does not contact the office at least 24 hours before county fair check-in, they will not be eligible to show that animal.
All 4-H livestock exhibitors (including the livestock sale) shall wear official 4-H dress. Official dress includes the following shirt options: green clover 4-H shirt, white clover 4-H Shirt, white button-up with 4-H armband, or any of the Hall County Fair/Farm Bureau sponsored Hall County 4-H t-shirts. State Fair or AKSARBEN shirts are not permitted. No exhibitor number harnesses may be worn.
Grooming of Livestock: Preparation and grooming of an animal should be the primary responsibility of the Hall County Fair exhibitor; however, assistance may be provided by other Hall County Fair 4-H exhibitors, immediate family members or another person acting in a mentoring and teaching capacity. The intent of this policy is to promote and foster positive youth development and a high-quality learning experience which are core values of 4-H.
Market animals found to have been surgically altered or treated (with exception to dehorning) will be barred from the show, or if already shown, all awards, premiums and honors shall be revoked.
A 4-H member must show their own animal(s) unless excused by the 4-H Council or Extension Staff. The request must be in writing and be sent to the Extension office before the Fair starts. If the member has two animals in the same class, one animal can be shown by another member enrolled in Hall County 4-H.
Rules governing the County Fair Livestock Premium Sale:
Exhibitor can sell only one animal per species. Exception: Exhibitors may sell multiple champions (including champion, reserve, and bred and fed).
When an exhibitor has two market animals in a given species, the Extension Office must be notified which animal is to be sold within two hours after each show.
The exhibitor must personally take the animal through the ring on sale night unless excused by Hall County Fair Board.
Before the exhibitor may enter the sale ring, they must be neat, clean and in official 4-H dress and the animal must be presentable.
Any market animal can be withdrawn from the sale.
Breeding livestock entries cannot be consigned for sale in the Livestock Premium sale.
State Fair Eligibility requirements for all exhibitors: A 4-H member must be 8 by December 31 of the previous year or become 9 years of age during the current year. The last year of eligibility is the calendar year the member becomes 19.
Quality Assurance training is required for all exhibitors (4-H age 8-18) in beef, bucket calves, sheep, swine, dairy, dairy goats, meat goats, poultry and rabbits. All youth who wish to exhibit any of these species must complete Quality Assurance requirements prior to the June 15 deadline. Anyone not completing the Quality Assurance Training will be ineligible to exhibit at the Hall County Fair and the Nebraska State Fair. Completion of the training will be certified by Extension staff.
Any corrections and updates to the above rules will appear in 4-H newsletters and emails.