2026 Pre-Fair Day Activities - Clothing Construction, Fashion Revue, Contests (Horticulture,
FCS Judging, Table Setting, Culinary Challenge, and Talent) and Public Fashion Show

Boyd County Pre-Fair Day -  Monday, July 13
St. Mary’s Catholic Church Hall, Spencer

Holt County Pre-Fair Day – Wednesday, July 15
Faith Community Church, Solid Rock Building, O’Neill

Afternoon: 

  • 3:00pm: Talent, Table Setting, and Culinary Challenge Contests
  • 3:00pm: Horticulture and FCS Judging Contests 
  • 3:00pm: Clothing Construction Judging and Modeling

Note: All Table Setting Entries will be on display at the County Fair 

Morning:

  • 9:00am: Horticulture and FCS Judging Contests, Clothing Construction Judging, and Modeling begins

Afternoon:

  • 1:30pm - Talent Contest Judging
  • 3:00pm - Table Setting and Culinary Challenge Contests - Schedules will be sent out
  • 7:00 pm: Public Fashion Show and Talent Contest

Pre-Fair Day Entries on Fairwire
All Pre-Fair Day Entries will be made through Boyd County Fairwire OR Holt County Fairwire from June 22 - July 6. Entries close at 11:59pm on July 6.

Holt County Entry Tags - Tags are printed and available for pick up at the Extension office. Exhibitors will be emailed when the tags are printed. If unable to pick up tags before Pre-Fair day, tags will be available to be picked up that day. 


Holt County Morning - Boyd County Afternoon:

Judging will take place for the following categories: 

Beyond the NeedleSTEAM Clothing 1: FUNdamentalsSTEAM Clothing 2: Simply Sewing
STEAM Clothing 3: A Stitch FurtherKnitting/Crocheting Quilt Quest
Shopping in StyleClover Kid Sewing Exhibits and ModelingAll 4-H Modeling

 

Construction Judge
Items that you need for the judge 

  • Item to be Judged.
  • Identification label for constructed garments located on the back of neck or back of waistline. (County, 4-Her Name, 4-H age, Project Name, Class Number, Number of years in this sewing project). 
  • All exhibits must be on a hanger with the identification label attached to the garment. 
  • Boyd County - No entry tag needed.
  • Holt County Entry tag needed. 
  • See the Pre-Fair Day Fair Regulation Book for dress code requirements.

Modeling Judge
Items that you need for the judge

  • You in your garment.
  • Modeling Narratives will be READ while you are modeling on stage for the judge. This means ALL narratives need to be turned into the Extension office PRIOR to Pre-Fair Day. 
  • Boyd County - No entry tag needed. Ribbon placing will be attached to the exhibit at County Fair. 
  • Holt County -  Entry tag needed. 

CLOVER KIDS Modeling
Items that you need for the judge

  • You in your garment. 
  • Boyd County - No entry tag needed. Ribbon placing will be attached to the exhibit at County Fair. 
  • Holt County -  Entry tag needed.
  • All Clover Kids may model one item (school clothes, costumes, wedding outfits, etc.) that is appropriate clothing for public viewing. 

Family and Consumer Sciences and Horticulture Judging Contest:

  • Holt County - 9:00am to Noon
  • Boyd County - 3:00pm - Ribbon placing will be attached to the exhibit at County Fair. 
  • 4-H Members and CLOVER KIDS are encouraged to participate in both judging contests.

 

Holt County Afternoon – Boyd County Late Afternoon/Evening:

Talent Contest/CLOVER KIDS Talent Contest

  • Judging will be held in the afternoon. 
  • Boyd County - Ribbon placing will be attached to the scoresheet at County Fair. 
  • Holt County -  Ribbon placings will be announced and handed out after they perform at the Public Fashion Show. 

Table Setting Contest

  • Tentative time schedule emailed to participants. Please remember to be set up and be ready 10 minutes before your scheduled time. 
  • 4-H’er must provide their own folding card table.
  • See Table Setting Manual for more information.
  • BOYD COUNTY: All Table Setting Entries with ribbon placing attached MUST be displayed at the County Fair. 
  • HOLT COUNTY: Table Setting Contest entries MUST be displayed until the Fashion Show is over. Ribbons will be handed out that day. Champion and Reserve Champion Tables MUST be on display during the Fair in the 4-H exhibit building. 

CLOVER KID Table Setting Contest

  • Tentative time schedule emailed to participants. Please remember to be set up and be ready 10 minutes before your scheduled time. 
  • Clover Kids will need to provide their own folding table. (A parent may unfold the table).
  • The Clover Kid will place the theme tablecloth on the table with the decoration and the table setting (example: plate, napkin, fork, spoon, knife, glass) for the judge. The judge may ask very simple questions about Dietary Guidelines
  • No menu or food is required. 
  • See Table Setting Manual for more information.
  • BOYD COUNTY: All Table Setting Entries with ribbon placing attached MUST be displayed at the County Fair.
  • HOLT COUNTY: Table Setting Contest entries MUST be displayed until the Fashion Show is over. 

4-H Culinary Challenge

  • Similar to our County Only Table Setting Contest EXCEPT you can only have a team exhibit; a challenge ingredient that will change yearly; and a presentation that involves technology. Refer to the Culinary Challenge section in the Pre-Fair Day Fair Regulation Book for more details. 

HOLT COUNTY Fashion Show/CLOVER KIDS Fashion Show

All 4-H members and Clover Kids that modeled on Pre-Fair Day will model during the Public Fashion Show that evening. The schedule will be posted that night. Ribbons will be handed out that evening for modeling that was judged earlier that day. Holt County Fashion Show will begin at 7:00pm promptly - Please be ready and in line by 6:45pm.

BOYD COUNTY Fashion Show/CLOVER KIDS Fashion Show

Due to a low number of entries, there will not be an evening Public Fashion Show. However, parents, families, and community members are warmly invited to attend and watch as contestants model their outfits and perform their talent entries during the judging portion of the event on Pre-Fair Day. Additionally, all Table Setting displays will be set up in the 4-H Static Exhibit Building during fair week for the public to view and enjoy.

Pre-Fair Day Resource Folder
In this folder you will find the following: 

  • Table Setting Contest Manual, Scoresheets and Planning Guide
  • Shopping in Style Body Profile
  • Question a Judge May Ask 

Holt Boyd Fair Regulations Book
In this folder you will find the following: 

  • Pre-Fair Day Projects, Contests and Events Section of Fair Regulations Book
  • Clover Kid Division of the Fair Regulations Book

Fairwire Resource Folder

  • Detailed Step-by-Step Instructions for Fairwire Online Entries with screenshots to walk you through the process of online entries. Entries are easy to make so please do not let the lengthy instructions scare you. The screenshots take up a lot of the pages. We recommend printing these instructions for use during registration. There is one for each county so be sure to use the correct county instructions. 

State Fair Fashion Show Resource Folder
In this folder you will find the following: 

  • Fashion Show Narration Form - Narrations will be read while you model
  • Shopping In Style Fashion Show Written Report with Narration - Narrations will be read while you model