Illinois State Fair—August 14-23, 2009

State Fair Job Opportunities

There are many short-term opportunities available in the Junior Department of the 2009 State Fair. The majority of positions will involve working with the 4-H exhibits; however 4-H membership is not required to help out.

If you are interested, please pick up an application at the Extension Office. You will need to obtain a written recommendation from an Extension staff member. For more information and descriptions of the job opportunities, please contact the Extension office.

State Fair Admission/Gate Charges

General Admission

· Adults 13 and older -- $5.00

· Children (5-12) -- $2.00

Fair Dates and Deadlines

June 1 Horse State Fair Entries due to McHenry County Extension Office

June 9 Last day for Horse Quality Assurance & Ethics

June 23 Livestock State Fair Entries due to McHenry County Extension Office

July 1 Last day for Livestock Quality Assurance & Ethics

July 28-Aug 2 State Fair Horse Show

Aug. 15 McHenry County Day at Illinois State Fair

Aug. 22 Bicycle Rodeo, Electronics and Geospatial projects at State Fair

State Fair Book

The McHenry County Extension web site will have a link to the 2009 Illinois State Fair Book or found on line at http://www.illinoisstatefair.info/

State Judging Opportunities

4-H members wanting to participate in any of the State 4-H Judging Contest and Events should contact the 4-H office. Pre-registration is required for the contests. Information about the contests is available at the Extension Office. Members may not participate in more than one contest program area. Most events, with the exception of Forestry Judging, are held on the U of I campus in Champaign-Urbana.

Youth are encouraged to bring a sack lunch and drinks. Most of the judging will take place out at the farms or in a classroom.

Following are the dates and locations of each contest:

Meat Judging *Saturday, June 13, 9 a.m. registration, contest 10 a.m. *Meat Science Laboratory, 1503 South Maryland Drive

*Judging classes includes 2 retail beef & pork; 2 classes each of beef and pork carcasses; 24 retail cuts of by species, primal cuts, retail names, processing and cooking methods

Horse Judging *Tuesday, June 16, 11 a.m. registration, contest noon *U of I Stock Pavilion *Judging classes includes 3 halter classes; 2 performance classes and seniors will have 2 sets of oral reasons. *Illinois top four will travel to National contest

Dairy Judging *Tuesday, June 16, 11 a.m. registration, contest noon *U of I, South Dairy Barn Lincoln Ave. *Judging will be 6 classes of cows and heifers selected from various dairy breeds. *Illinois top four will travel to National contest

Livestock Judging *Tuesday, June 16, 11 a.m. registration, contest at noon *Illinois Beef Barns at 4900 South Race Street, Urbana *Judging classes include 3 classes of beef; swine and 2 classes sheep, production information, beef and questions

*Illinois top four will travel to National contest

Poultry Judging *Tuesday, June 16, 11 a.m. registration, contest at noon at*Stock Pavilion, Room 107 *Judging will include3 classes of egg production; 4 classes of ready-to-cook fowl or fryers; 1 class ready-to-cook turkeys; 1 class of broken out eggs; 2 classes of shell eggs (candled; and 2 classes of exterior egg quality *Illinois top will travel to National contest

Horticulture *Tuesday, June 16, 11 a.m. registration, contest at noon *Plant and Science Building, 1201 South Dorner Drive

Horticulture Judging-judging up to 8 classes of vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants or flowers. Identify a group up to 180 specimens of vegetables, herbs, fruits, nuts, flowers, indoor plants and ornamentals.

Horticulture Public Presentations *Illinois top 4 in Horticulture Judging and up to 2 depending on quality of presentations & travel cost in Public Presentations will travel to Harrisburg, PA.

Forestry Judging *Saturday, June 27 from 1-5 p.m. *Memorial 4-H Camp, Monticello

Rocket Launch *Tuesday, June 16, 11:30 registration until 3:30 p.m. *Stadium Terrace Playing Field

Sheep Weigh-In

Sheep weigh in for market lambs will be Saturday, May 9 at the McHenry County Fairgrounds, sheep barn from 10 am to noon.

Youth planning to go to the Illinois state fair showing sheep must go to one of the following locations to be weighed and have electronic ear tags placed in. The cost is $2.00 per lamb.

Please call to register

May 2 10:30-noon Bob Wright Farm, Cullom, IL. Aimee Chandler 815-268-4051

May 9 9:00-noon Grundy County Fairgrounds Dan Jennings 815-218-4358

McHenry County 4-H Fair Book NOW Online

For the first time the McHenry County 4-H Fair Book is on line. Members, leaders and parents may find the book at the McHenry County websbite at www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/mchenry. Please be sure to read all of the rules for the whole fair and for each division area. The book is divided into easy sections for you to view the information in the departments of your interest.

Reminder!!! New Requirement for McHenry County Fair Participants

4-H members, including Special interest group members in their second year and beyond in 4-H must have attended a minimum of four club/group meetings this year in order to show at the McHenry County 4-H show.

Members in their first year of 4-H must attend one-third of club/group meetings after registration in order to show in the McHenry 4-H show. If you do not meet these requirements, you are not eligible to show in this years' McHenry County 4-H show. NO EXCEPTIONS.

McHenry County 4-H Fair Judging Dates

July 11 Dog Fun Match

July 18 4-H Dog Show

July 19 Cat Show

July 22 Clothing Judging

July 30 Fair Set Up

Aug. 3 General Project Judging—AM

Aug. 3 Visual Art, Child Care, Interior Design Judging—PM

Aug. 4 Foods, Horticulture, Floriculture, Crop Judging—AM

Aug. 5 Fair Opens -Livestock judging begins

Aug. 6 Livestock Judging

4-H Night

Aug. 7 4-H Horse Show

Aug. 8 4-H Livestock Auction

Aug. 9 Last Day of Fair

Reminder!! All fair entries are to be turned in by club no later than June 5 along with a copy of the secretary's roll call page in order for youth to participate in this years McHenry County 4-H Fair.

Ethics

4-H/FFA quality Assurance and Ethics are required for all 4-H members in their first year of showing beef, dairy, dog, goats, horses, sheep, swine, and poultry. Ethics will need to be retaken if it is your first year going to the Illinois State Fair with an animal. The URL for the site will be http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/qaec/.

This site closes for horses on June 9 and all other departments on July 1.

Upon completion. Please print the affidavit and the certificate, sign them, and turn them into the Extension Office. If you have any questions, please contact the office or reserve time on the office computer to take the training.

Do Not Wait Until The Last Minute!