Fairbook

GENERAL RULES & INFORMATION

The Nebraska 4-H State Fair Management Team meets regularly to respond to and solve 4-H issues and complaints in a manner that teaches good character, life skills, and positive youth development. This group annually reviews and updates the state fairbooks, conducts webinars to update staff on changes, and publishes newsletters for staff with important information and deadlines dates. If grievances arise during the Nebraska State Fair, they will serve as the protest review group, with the respective area superintendent, to make appropriate decisions based on the 4-H State Fairbook.

The current 2024 team members are:

  • Jill Goedeken
  • Brandy Schulze
  • Nicholas Hoag
  • Kerry Elsen
  • Kimberly Cook
  • Elizabeth Janning
  • Michelle Garwood
  • Kristin Geisert
  • Cole Meador

The following rules apply to all departments of the 4-H section of the Nebraska State Fair. They are organized by relevancy into the following areas: All, Static, Livestock, Contests, and On Grounds policies. Rules that apply specifically to a particular department will be listed under rules for that department.

  1. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR EXHIBITORS - Youth must be enrolled in 4-H by June 15 of the current year. 
    The Nebraska State Fair has established the following age divisions:
    • Junior: 4-H ages 8 to 10
    • Intermediate: 4-H ages 11 to 13
    • Senior: 4-H ages 14 to 18

A 4-H member must be 8 before January 1, of the current year, or becomes 9 years of age during the current year.  The last year of eligibility is the calendar year the member becomes 19.

  1. PROCEDURE FOR MAKING ENTRIES

  2.  

    • 4-H animal entries (beef, sheep, swine, goats, poultry, rabbits and dogs) will be entered through ShoWorks online by the 4-H family. The entry deadline is August 10 at 8 PM central time.
    • All “in person” events such as fashion show, and contests will also be entered through ShoWorks online by the family. The entry deadline is August 10 at 8 PM central time.
    • All static entries will be entered by 4-H staff.

    3. PROTEST COMMITTEE (all protests other than livestock)

    1. The respective superintendent has the authority to make appropriate decisions based on the 4-H Premium Book. When needed, a committee shall be appointed to serve as a protest review group. They will meet when needed to act upon concerns.
      • All protests must be submitted in writing and signed.
      • The written protest must be submitted to the State Fair Management Team and must include:
        1. names of persons involved
        2. nature of concerns
        3. situation and documentation
        4. recommendations for correction
        5. specific action, rule, etc., in question
        6. additional persons committee may contact for further clarification
        7. procedures and/or steps carried out by person involved prior to submission of the protest to the State Fair 4-H Management Team.
      • The committee will review the written protest. They may discuss the situation with affected persons and show officials, including Nebraska State Fair management. Recommendations will be developed, followed, and communicated both verbally and in writing to the group or individuals affected.
      • In cases of protest, the exhibitor may be allowed to show, but results of showing will be subject to change based on the outcome of the protest process. This allows for smooth operation of the show and facilitates appropriate processing.
      • The 4-H State Fair Management Team reserves the right to withhold any award. The exhibitor may be excluded from the show if action warrants.
      • Protests will not be accepted after the exhibit is released from the 4-H Division of State Fair. Protests related to judges' integrity, decision, placings, or other evaluations will not be accepted.
    2. Protests related to livestock must follow the process outlined in the State Fair General Livestock Rules & Regulations.
  3. DISCLAIMER OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXHIBITS AT THE NEBRASKA STATE FAIR - 4-H exhibits at Nebraska State Fair are entered and displayed at the risk of the 4-H member. Nebraska Extension 4-H Youth Development, in cooperation with the Nebraska State Fair Board accepts exhibits and will exercise due care to protect them. However, 4-H and State Fair Board cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage due to the conditions imposed by large crowds, the arrangement of the buildings where displays are housed, and the large number of exhibits. 4-H'ers who have exhibits of great sentimental and/or monetary value should carefully consider whether such exhibits should be exposed to the hazards of the fair.
  4. RIBBONS AWARDED - In the 4-H Section, exhibits will be judged according to research-based standards that indicate level of performance or quality of work. Purple ribbons designate an exhibit of superior quality that has met and exceeded all the standards. Blue ribbons denote an above average exhibit that has met almost all the standards in a way that surpasses the norm. Red ribbons indicate average quality and indicate that the exhibit has met the majority of standards in such a way that the benchmark was reached, but not exceeded. White ribbons indicate that the exhibit has not met the majority of the standards.
  5. SPECIAL AWARDS - No special awards will be presented unless they have been approved by the State Fair 4-H Management Team.
  6. VIOLATION OF RULES renders the exhibitor subject to loss of ribbons, other awards, and/or elimination from the show.
  7. DISQUALIFICATION - The superintendent will determine eligibility/ineligibility of an exhibit entry in their division. All ineligible items will not be judged and will not be displayed.
  8. 4-H AND FFA - Projects cannot be shown in both 4-H and FFA at the State Fair.
  9. SALE OF ITEMS - Exhibitors may not advertise or sell animals or products at the State Fair.
  10. T-SHIRTS - T-shirts will be given to all “in person event” exhibitors (livestock, fashion show, contests) but will not be given to static exhibit exhibitors.
  11. EXHIBITOR ATTIRE– The t-shirts provided to exhibitors are required to be worn for all "in-person events" exhibitions during presentation and awards. Exhibitors may not have any county identification on their attire while participating in contests or showing animals. The following exceptions to this rule are: Fashion Show, and Culinary Challenge. Please refer to these events' individual guidelines for dress code expectations.
  12. PREMIUMS - Premiums in all 4-H classes will be distributed once all counties have verified the official results.
  13. NEBRASKA 4-H CODE OF CONDUCT: All 4-H staff, volunteers, members and parents/guardians should adhere to the code of conduct during participation at the Nebraska State Fair.

Static Exhibits

  1. All static exhibits must have received a purple ribbon at the county fair to advance to the State Fair.
  2. NUMBER OF ENTRIES - Only one entry per class per exhibitor may be made in static project areas.
  3. STATIC EXHIBIT DISPLAYS - Large static exhibits made for outdoors (i.e. lawn & garden furniture & trailers, animal feeding structures, picnic tables, barn quilts) may be displayed outdoors at the discretion of 4-H staff and/or area superintendents, if additional display space is needed inside the exhibit hall.
  4. EXHIBITS RELEASED - All Static Exhibits will be released according to the County Extension Staff unless the proper documentation has been submitted. Dates and times will be listed on the Master 4-H Schedule at http://4h.unl.edu/state-fair.
  5.  NO FIREARMS, ITEMS WITH A BLADE (broad heads, knives, saws, etc.) or related items of any other kind, may be exhibited.  This applies to actual items, replicated items and item parts.  Shooting sports accessories are permissible as described in the Conservation, Wildlife and Shooting Sports Fairbook.
  6. USE OF COPYWRITTEN IMAGES - Copyrighted writing, artwork, videos, and images may be used in 4-H educational exhibits under Fair Use for educational purposes of Copyright Law. In order to qualify for Fair Use, 4-H’ers must: 1) only use a small amount of the copy-written work, 2) add new meaning to the work to make it original, 3) rework it and use it in a totally different way, and 4) use it for nonprofit purposes (not to make money). Giving credit to the original creator is also recommended.

Contests

  1. CONTEST ENTRY FEES - 4-H members involved in all State Fair Judging Contests, Fashion Shows, and Robotics Showcase competitions are required to pay a non-refundable entry fee of $5.00 per person.
  2. NUMBER OF ENTRIES - Only one entry per class per exhibitor may be made in a contest.

Livestock

  1. LIVESTOCK 2024 ENTRY FEES - Livestock exhibitors are required to pay entry fees for their exhibits as follows:

    Market Beef, Breeding Beef, Feeder Calf: $50

Dairy Cattle: Please refer to State Fair Rules for Dairy Cattle Guidelines

Meat Goats, Market Lambs, Market Swine: $25

Breeding Sheep, Breeding Does: $25

Dogs: $5.00 per entry (Obedience, Agility, Rally, Skillathon)

Poultry & Rabbits: $5.00 per entry

The entry fees provide for items such as wood bedding for beef, meat goats, sheep, and swine and for drug testing fees for market animals. All livestock entry fees are non-refundable.

2. NUMBER OF ENTRIES – A 4-H'er may exhibit up to 5 dog classes, 6 rabbits and 6 poultry entries. An

exhibitor can exhibit 6 hogs. An exhibitor can exhibit up to 4 sheep or meat goats. An exhibitor

can exhibit up to 5 beef animals.

On Grounds

  1. SMOKING: To safeguard exhibitors and livestock, smoking is prohibited in all barns. All exhibitors and guests are asked to cooperate with us in enforcing this rule.
  2. ALCOHOL ABUSE: To safeguard exhibitors, livestock and the public, the State of Nebraska Rules on Alcohol Use and Abuse will be enforced.
  3. FIRST AID - An infirmary is in operation on the Fairgrounds 24 hours a day for exhibitors and patrons. USE THESE FACILITIES for emergency treatment and first aid needs. The State Fair management will work to protect participants from injury. The Nebraska State Fair will not be held responsible for any accident, damage or loss. Should any accident occur prompt attention is available at the First Aid Station maintained on the fairgrounds. While the greatest possible care will be exercised by the management to protect patrons of the State Fair, each individual will be held personally responsible for any injury.
  4. NIGHT SECURITY - The 4-H/FFA Exhibit building will be closed to the public and locked at 9:00 p.m. Security is provided for livestock barns at all times .
  5. CAMPING - Camping is not permitted in the parking lot.
  6. FIRE PREVENTION - Care must be given to avoid the use of flammable materials.
  7. GOLF CARTS AND SERVICE CARTS will require a permit for operation in State Fair Park. See Nebraska State Fair website to check for rules.