4-H state fair livestock exhibitor resources

Review the premium book for general regulations and project-specific information and requirements:

•  4-H state fair livestock premium book 

You will need to review and abide by all conditions and rules listed in the IAFE (International Association of Fairs and Expositions) Code of Show Ring Ethics prior to exhibiting your animal at the state fair.

Important phone numbers

If you have questions, please contact your local 4-H staff first for assistance. The below phones will be staffed beginning the week of the state fair

• Livestock office: 651-642-2360
• Superintendent’s office: 651-642-2356
• Nurse cell: TBA
• Girls’ dorm (4-H Building): 651-642-2355
• Boys’ dorm (4-H Building): 651-642-2354
• Bailey Hall desk (Twin Cities campus in St. Paul): TBA
• Beef office: 651-624-2364
• Dairy office: 651-642-2316   
• Poultry office: 651-603-6805
• Rabbit office: 651-642-2392
• Sheep/swine office: 651-642-2333

Required state fair forms

Use these links to complete your registration for specific project areas. If a paper form is needed, contact your local Extension staff.

• Dairy genetics and production data exhibitor registration
• Dairy showcase applicant 
• Judging team registration
• Llama - alpaca costume narrative
• Lamb lead narrative

Stalling assignments will be posted when available.

• Beef
  • Stalling
  • Tie outs
• Dairy
• Goats
• Sheep
• Swine

Arrival of livestock

No animals or equipment will be allowed on the fairgrounds prior to 2 a.m. Wednesday. This includes the barns, in the tie outs or in trailers parked on the fairgrounds. If you violate this policy, you will not be allowed to exhibit and will be sent home.

All livestock must be in place by 5 p.m. Wednesday. 

Loadout of livestock 

4-H livestock will be released beginning at noon on Sunday. Counties have been divided into four “rings” of release times, which are determined by the distance from the state fairgrounds. Review the ring assignments so you know what time to be ready. 

Review the arrival and loadout process for 4-H livestock and equipment.

The shuttle bus for livestock exhibitors will run continually from Wednesday at noon to Sunday at noon.

The drop-off and pick-up points will be:

• Como Ave. Loop Gate (fairgrounds)
• Bailey Hall (Twin Cities campus in St. Paul)

View the shuttle schedule - this is subject to change. The schedule will also be posted and available in your species' livestock office, as well as the 4-H Building by the superintendent's office.

The shuttle bus will leave Bailey Hall at 5 a.m. each morning and go straight to the barns. The last bus from Como Ave. Loop Gate will leave at 10:45 p.m. each night, except Sunday night. 

Getting to and from Bailey Hall

Livestock exhibitors staying in Bailey Hall will be able to enter the fairgrounds through the Buford Gate beginning at 5 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

If you are staying in Bailey Hall, you must remove all possessions from your room by 7 a.m. on Sunday (a storage room will be provided at Bailey Hall).

Release from the barn dormitories

On Sunday, if you are departing the cattle and swine barn dormitories, you must remove all possessions before noon (no storage is provided). You can arrange to meet your local program's youth and chaperones in the bus lot or at the Como Loop Gate.

Hay, bedding and feed 

By species

• If you are a beef exhibitor, you will be charged $10 to assist with the added cost of wood chips in the barn and tie out areas. This fee will be assessed when registering for the state fair. You should also plan to bring your own feed.
• If you are a poultry or rabbit exhibitor, you will be provided with shavings but should bring your own feed.
• All other species – dairy, sheep, swine, goats (both dairy and meat) and llama-alpaca - will not receive any physical hay or bedding allotments. Even your initial bedding must be brought from home.

Allotments 

There is a monetary allotment provided by the Minnesota State Fair. The monetary allotment is per animal from your county/tribal program and will be equal to dairy ($8), sheep, swine, goats and llama-alpaca ($5). If this monetary allotment is not used, it will not be refunded to the county.

You can also buy feed and bedding individually from the Minnesota State Fair Forage Department. Check with your local Extension staff to see if your county has a charge agreement in place or if you will need to pay by cash or credit card.

Forage price list

• Small square straw - $8
• Large square straw - $95
• Shavings - $7
• Alfalfa hay - $13
• Grass hay - $12
• Mix grass hay - $12

Supplies storage and transportation

Each county should plan to store only daily needs in the barn and can store additional quantities in county livestock trailers parked in the livestock trailer area, which is across the street from the fairgrounds.

No big bales of straw will be allowed in the barn after 8 a.m. on Thursday.

A convenient shuttle system is supplied by the Minnesota State Fair to bring feed, bedding and supplies onto the grounds during the day. 

Feeding, watering and cleaning equipment will not be provided. You should provide your own equipment and counties should bring cleaning equipment such as brooms, forks, etc.

Packing tips for all livestock exhibitors

• Develop a plan with county species delegation to determine shared supplies.
• Label items.
• Bring a cart with wheels to help move heavy items, such as show boxes.
• If your animal is purebred/registered, be sure to have the appropriate paperwork with you to show at check-in.
• Review the forage allotment to help determine bedding amount.
• Use the state fair livestock premium book for reference on specifications of equipment.

Livestock encampment supplies

Supplies needed by species

Review these checklists for what to bring to the fair.

Note: These are generic lists - please use your best discretion when selecting items needed as an individual exhibitor and/or as part of a county delegation.
 

Llama/Alpaca encampment supplies

Review the llama/alpaca supply checklist on what to bring to the fair.

Note: This is a generic list - please use your best discretion when selecting items needed as an individual exhibitor and/or as part of a county delegation.

Rules and information on reserving a camping or overnight livestock parking space can be found on the Minnesota State Fair website.

Schedules will be posted when available.

• Livestock fair schedule 

• Livestock demonstration schedule

Livestock interviews are designed to further enhance educational opportunities for young people exhibiting livestock. 

The interviews must be completed by each exhibitor prior to arrival at the state fair through an online computer-based presentation and knowledge assessment.

The interview process may be somewhat different from one species to the next. 

If you wish to be eligible for recognition beyond blue, red or white ribbons, you must first complete the interview process. Interviewing will qualify you for such recognition as purple ribbons, championships, showmanship, showcase and auction.

Approximately 20% of the exhibitors in each species will be selected to participate in a call-back interview for finalists at the beginning of the state fair livestock encampment. These finalists will receive recognition and will be properly recognized at their species show.

There will not be a make-up interview opportunity at the state fair. The exception is dairy, which will have in-person interview opportunities at the fair.

Learn more and complete your livestock interview.

During the Minnesota State Fair, all 4-H livestock show exhibitors will receive an official show shirt (sponsored by Compeer Financial) to wear at all livestock shows (regular classes and showmanship). Review the below information and plan your show ring attire accordingly.

Please note:

• Hat and caps are not appropriate in 4-H show ring settings.
• All exhibitors should limit wearing accessories that take attention away from the animal. The only accessory you should need is a belt.

Questions on appropriate show ring attire can be fielded at your state fair species office.

Science of animals at the Minnesota State Fair is designed to help 4-H animal project youth learn about the many dimensions of the industry.

Please note

• Exhibits do not have to be in the same species as your livestock exhibit.
• You can win a trip in science of animals and take a livestock trip to the state fair.
• You can receive housing with your county's livestock exhibitors and help with herdsmanship, herdsmanship judging, etc.

Requirements

• You must qualify at your county fair to participate in the state fair.
• You must complete an animal science interview.

Judging

Judging will take place at the state fair on:

• Friday at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
• Saturday at 4 p.m. 

If you cannot participate during the assigned times due to 4-H conflicts, then report to the science of animals office in the 4-H Poultry/Rabbit Barn on Wednesday (anytime) or Thursday (before 9 a.m.)— if neither time works for you because of 4-H conflicts, an alternative time will be offered.

Science of animals evaluation sheet - use for county and state fairs.

View the list of 4-H livestock judges at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair.

Speaking Up for Animal Agriculture is a critical component of herdsmanship, and it is one of the ways exhibitors can positively interact with fair visitors.

• Speaking Up for Animal Agriculture overview and schedule

• Building success with Speaking Up for Animal Agriculture

Results

• See herdsmanship and Speaking up for Animal Agriculture results on the 4-H state fair results page.

4-H members exhibiting market livestock (beef, sheep, swine, goat, poultry) at the Minnesota State Fair 4-H shows may be selected to participate in the Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association (MLBA) 4-H Purple Ribbon Auction. Each year approximately 115 youth members take part in this event.

The top five breeding animals in beef, dairy goat, meat goat, poultry, sheep and swine will receive special cash awards and banners sponsored through matching funds provided by the MLBA 4-H Purple Ribbon Auction and additional sponsors. 

Learn more about the MLBA 4-H Purple Ribbon Auction.

The Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassadors and the Minnesota 4-H plant science program will be hosting a scavenger hunt around the state fairgrounds. 

This interactive scavenger hunt has stops all around the fairgrounds where you will get to explore and learn about different aspects of agriculture, including plant sciences, animal science and mechanical science, and, upon completion, spin for a prize. 

Complete the scavenger hunt at your own pace. Do the hunt as an individual or with a group of friends (each member must have a completed sheet or app to receive a prize). If you plan to do the scavenger hunt all at once, we recommend allowing about two hours. 

The scavenger hunt will be on the Minnesota 4-H app. If you are interested in the scavenger hunt but don't have a phone, no problem! You can pick up a paper copy outside the livestock office during livestock weekend. During the general encampments, you can pick up a paper copy in the 4-H Building.

Claim your prize 

Once you have completed all of the locations on the scavenger hunt, stop by our booth during these times to claim your prize:

• 4-H livestock encampment: Thursday, Aug. 27 - Saturday, Aug. 29, 3-5 p.m., at our booth in the Cattle Barn, near the 4-H Livestock Office.

• Sunday, Aug. 30 - Monday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m. - noon and 4-5 p.m. at the plant science booth in the 4-H Building.

Contact Anja Johnson at [email protected] or Kirstin Koch at [email protected] with any questions.

Check out these other opportunities during the livestock encampment:

• Minnesota Meats
• Dairy showcase
• Animal judging contests

• 2026 state 4-H beef show information sheet
• 2026 4-H market beef and dairy steer information sheet
• An optional tie out space is available for a charge of $25 per space. There is also a county grooming chute space quota with a fee of $25 per space and $15 for half chutes. The request for grooming chutes must be made by local Extension staff.

• PDCA Show Ring Code of Ethics
• National Dairy Production Averages 2026

The 2026 llama-alpaca encampment will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2-Friday, Sept. 4.

Minnesota State Fair 4-H Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest

If you are participating in the llama-alpaca costume contest, you must submit your llama-alpaca costume narration. 

If you are unable to complete the form online, you can get a paper version from your local Extension staff.

STEM & Arts Award 

This award recognizes youth who create a costume utilizing engineering design processes, including problem identification, brainstorming, prototyping and testing of the animal's costume. Evidence of careful planning and consideration of structural integrity and safety of the costume will be highly considered. 

Youth must enter and participate in the 4-H llama-alpaca costume contest at the Minnesota State Fair. Youth applying for this award must provide documentation (text and pictures) of the costume project via Qualtrics by application deadline. Award consideration is based on application information and in-person judging at the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest.

• Judging criteria
• Application

Minnesota Textile Center Award 

This award recognizes youth who demonstrate the creative use of textiles to tell a story with their costume. Youth must enter and participate in the 4-H llama-alpaca costume contest at the Minnesota State Fair. Considerations in selection include originality and ingenuity demonstrated in a textile-based costume, as well as technical skill and understanding about the use of textiles. Award consideration is based on in-person judging at the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest.

• Judging criteria

All chickens, turkeys and gamebirds must originate from a hatchery or breeding flock that is NPIP Pullorum-Typhoid (PT) clean (you must provide a statement of origin) or be negative to a pullorum-typhoid test within 90 days prior to the opening date of the Minnesota State Fair.  

Note: Turkeys cannot be tested the same day - blood must be sent to an approved lab prior to exhibition. Waterfowl, pigeons and doves are exempt from testing requirements.

Chicken BBQ contest

• Any 4-H’er may participate regardless of the state fair project area they are in.
• The contest is held on the Saturday of the livestock encampment near the Coliseum.
• Please make sure chicken BBQ contest times do not conflict with other show times.
• Please confirm your participation with the poultry office by Friday at noon.
• Seniors begin cooking at 8:30 a.m. and are given two and a half hours to cook. Non-seniors begin upon completion of the senior contest (approximately 11 a.m.).
• Review contest rules and national contest details.

Premise IDs are not required. The 4-H exhibitor lamb country of origin declaration (COOL) form is not required in 2026 for sheep.

If you are competing in lamb lead, you must complete the lamb lead narration. If you are unable to complete the form online, you can get a paper version from your local Extension staff.

• Premise IDs are required.
• PRRS information sheet
• Keep your show pig safe
• Read this important information about swine shipping and stalling.