Kansas State Fair to provide virtual alternatives to 4-H exhibits

The Kansas State Fair has approved support for a virtual judging alternative for 4-H youth who qualify to advance to the State Fair level in their project area.

Kansas 4-H is working on the details to provide virtual alternatives for each state fair division listed:

  • Clothing/Fiber Arts;
  • Crops;
  • Energy Management;
  • Entomology;
  • Fashion Revue;
  • Forestry;
  • Food Preservation;
  • Foods – Nutrition;
  • Geology;
  • Home Environment;
  • Horticulture;
  • Photography;
  • Public Presentations;
  • Rabbit;
  • Shooting Sports;
  • SpaceTech;
  • Wildlife; and
  • Woodworking.

Providing youth with quality educational feedback for their project-based learning remains a high priority for Extension and the Kansas State Fair.

Youth will be able to display, through virtual means, their State Fair quality exhibit and showcase the knowledge they’ve developed while participating in 4-H projects. We in Kansas 4-H who organize State Fair judging are hard at work retooling the exhibiting experience so 4-H youth are given an opportunity to receive exhibit feedback and a ribbon evaluation.

We appreciate the time and effort extension professionals and volunteers have invested in preparing youth for State Fair throughout the year. While our methods are changing, our Kansas 4-H and K-State Research and Extension mission remain the same. Registration information, revised rules, a tentative schedule, and more details for the alternative format will be communicated with extension units by Aug. 17.