The Cayuga and Seneca County 4-H Programs invite the public to come out to the 2025 4-H Youth Fair on Thursday, July 31st through Saturday, August 2nd at the Union Springs Fire Department, 257 Cayuga Street in Union Springs, NY. This annual event showcases and celebrates the creative projects 4-H members have been working on during the past year, and offers the public a chance to consider what 4-H membership may offer their families. Fair activities include many different animal shows, exhibits of creative projects in the arts and sciences, hands-on activities and contests, food trucks, and much more.
This fun, family friendly event offers lots to see and do. On each day of the Fair, visitors to the 4-H Exhibit building can view more than 175 projects in photography, painting, sewing, crafts, baked goods, vegetables, flower arrangements, posters, jewelry, woodworking, entomology, and written works, all prepared by 4-H members over the past year.
Thursday’s schedule includes a Sheep Herding Exhibition by Everett Cox with his dogs, Goat and Sheep Shows, and the 4-H Poultry Show. Friday’s offerings include Beef and Swine Shows, an Oxen Driving Demonstration, 4-H Dairy Showmanship, and an All-Animal Costume Show in which 4-H members dress their animals in costumes and winners are determined by audience votes.
Outdoor Skillathons led by Ryan Staychock, CCE’s Environment & Natural Resource Educator, will be held from 11:00am to 1:00pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Any youth may sign up to participate in a series of knowledge and skills tests in outdoor subjects including compass orienteering and animal identification, however only 4-H members are eligible to receive the champion or reserve champion award.
On Friday and Saturday from 12:00-2:00pm, visitors can see a Dairy in the Classroom Smoothie Bike Demonstration, and receive a free milk smoothie sample mixed by volunteer bike pedalers, courtesy of the New York State Dairy in the Classroom Program.
Saturday is the final day of the Youth Fair, and is chock filled with activities, including the Dairy Breed Show, the Rabbit and Cavy (guinea pig) Show, and the Elected Leaders Show at which local officials are paired with a 4-H member who guides them through the steps of showing an animal in the ring. Cayuga County elected leaders who are expected to participate in this event include: Amanda Casselman, Slade Cox, Terri Denman, Mark Emerson, Ed Ide, Ginny Kent, Eric Rozencrans and Robert Thurston, Jr. New York Assembly District 131 Member Jeff Gallahan also will tour the Fair on Saturday from 10am until sometime before Noon.
On Saturday, awards will be presented to the winners of the Outdoor Skillathon, and to recipients of the Linda Pinckney 4-H Herdsmanship award, which recognizes outstanding youth on how they have presented and cared for their animals over the course of the fair. This award was established by Cayuga County livestock farmer Dave Pinckney in memory of his wife.
Saturday’s events conclude with the 3rd Annual Livestock Market Auction at which sheep, goat, beef and swine animals are sold at auction. Bidding is open to the public for this event but bidders must register in person between 12-2pm in the show tent before show begins. Full details on how to register and bid may be found at: https://ccecayuga.org/4H-market-auction.
Visitors may find the times of specific shows and events they wish to attend at: https://ccecayuga.org/4H-youth-fair. Food trucks will vend meals and refreshments to fairgoers. Between Your Buns truck will serve on Thursday 7/31 from 12-6pm, Friday 8/1 from 12-7:30pm, and Saturday 8/2 from 12-4pm; Moonies truck will serve Friday 8/1 from 12-7:30pm.
For more information about 4-H in Cayuga County, or questions about this event, please visit https://ccecayuga.org/4-h-youth, or contact Sara Wagner, Cayuga County 4-H Program Lead, at [email protected]. For information about 4-H in Seneca County, contact Rachel Williams, 4-H Program Leader, at [email protected].