Everything you need to know in preparation for the Big Sky Country State Fair

*Fair information is uploaded and updated April-June for the current year

SAVE THE DATES: 4-H/FFA Fair Events will be July 11-20, 2025

2024 Big Sky Country State Fair Recap

Thank you to ALL of the Buyers that contributed to our 2024 Market Sale. We have remarkable 4-H 
youth who take pride in their projects. To see them rewarded for their work continually inspires us to create even more opportunities for them to learn and grow. Thank you for all that you do to ensure that our program has the resources to be strong & successful into the future. As a Market Livestock Committee, we want you to 
know how much we appreciate your outstanding support of our Gallatin County 4-H & FFA kids!

2024 Tab

Click HERE to look inside the 2024 Thank You Tab!

Big Sky Country State Fair 4-H/FFA Events Schedule and Information

Registering for Fair

The 4-H/FFA Exhibitor Fairbook (linked above) contains ALL the exhibitor rules, divisions and classes you can enter, and the schedules for the 2024 4-H/FFA Fair. This document is CRUCIAL to navigating the next few months. You MUST utilize the Fairbook when registering your exhibits and animal projects to ensure you register correctly!

2024 4-H/FFA Exhibitor Fairbook

Need help making sure you are ready for Fair? Follow our Are You Ready For Fair Checklist

  • 4-H/FFA Exhibitor Fair Registration will OPEN on Monday, May 20, 2024
  • 4-H/FFA Exhibitor Fair Registration will CLOSE on Monday, June 17, 2024 at 5pm - ABSOLUTELY NO ENTRIES 
    ACCEPTED AFTER THE DEADLINE! NO EXCEPTIONS!!

When you are ready to register, use our online ShoWorks fair platform: 2024 Fair Registration Website

  • Click the red “Sign In” button, then select either Exhibitor (for one youth) or Quick Group (for families with multiple youth) from the drop-down menu.
    • **EVERYONE WILL CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT EACH YEAR
    • Exhibitor registration fees must be paid by June 26th by 5pm (via card online through ShoWorks or we accept card/cash/check at the Extension Office)

Requirements to Enter into Fair

1: Turn In Completed Record Books to Office

DUE: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 by 5pm

  • My 4-H- One per youth, per year.
  • Non-Animal Project Journal - if you are bringing a non-animal project to fair.
  • Animal Project Journal - if you are bringing an animal project to fair.
  • Project Workbook- Most all 4-H projects have a curriculum book issued through 4- H Office. (7 activities required each year)

2. Interview in each Department you are entering. 

  • Livestock/Small Animal (Dog/Cat included) and Horse Project Interviews:
    • Thursday, July 11, 2024 4pm-8pm in Exhibit Building #4
    • Friday, July 12, 2024  4pm-8pm in Exhibit Building #4
    • Animal Projects Interview SignUp: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-48915273-2024
      • If you are planning to exhibit multiple Livestock species (sheep, beef, swine, goat, rabbit, poultry) you will only need to sign up for one interview slot and you will talk about all your livestock projects with one judge.
      • If you are in the Horse project, you will need to sign up for an additional and separate interview 
        slot from your livestock interview.
      • If you are in the Dog or Cat Project, you will need to sign up for an additional and separate 
        interview slot from any Horse and Livestock interviews you may have. If you will be submitting a 
        Dog or Cat Educational Poster, please bring the poster to this interview.  

3. Record Book & Interview Scoring Process

  • Record Books: Upon turn-in of your Record Books, Project & Club leaders will sign, review and score your records based on completeness, content and project standards utilizing a record book rubric. This will be your Record Book score. 
  • Interviews: During the Project Interviews prior to Fair, a judge will evaluate members on their interview skills (eye contact, confidence, attire, ability to answer questions), their 4-H Year experience and project knowledge utilizing an interview rubric. This will be your Project Interview score. 
  • Composite Score: The Record Book score (max points = 82) and the Project Interview score (max points = 48) will be totaled together for a Composite Score (max points = 130).
    • Members with a Composite Score of 105 points (80% or higher) will get nominated to be considered for a Project Award. Those nominated will be asked to re-turn in their completed Record Books in September for final review. Project Awards are presented at the end-of-year Awards Banquet.

4-H Seeking Community Members to be Project Interview Judges

If you are interested in being a 4-H Project interview judge, please fill out our Interview Judge Letter 2024 and email to gallatin@montana.edu.

Judges Needed

Fair Admission

Discounted 4-H Youth Exhibitor Wristbands & 4-H Adult Week Passes - Available at the Extension Office and will continue to be sold through July 12th.

4-H Prices are listed below:(cash or check ONLY)

  • 4-H Youth (exhibiting at fair) Week Wristbands = FREE (youth exhibitors will receive a green 4-H wristband to wear during fair week)
  • 4-H Adult Week Wristbands = $20 each (immediate 4-H family members that will be at fair for the entire week will receive a green 4-H wristband to wear during fair week)
  • Additional Youth (not exhibiting at fair) Week Wristband = $10 each

4-H wristband

  • Day-Passes for friends and extended family (grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc.) that come to support you during fair and Carnival Wristbands will be available for separate purchase through the Fairgrounds Website: Gallatin County Fairgrounds Tickets (etix.com)

Fairgrounds Parking

The Fairgrounds is very limited on parking during Fair, so please be mindful of the following policies:

2024 Policies:

  • ALL exhibitors and spectators will need to park in the free general public lots, Tamarack (Gate A) and Oak St (Gate B). Both can be used to come in for shows, loading in supplies and such. The Tamarack Lot (Gate A) will be the one opening at 7am for early morning access and closer proximity to the showrings.
  • ALL 4-H/FFA families will receive a FREE "Fast Pass" drop-off pass for use at West Oak (Gate C) when needed. This pass allows drive-in access to the livestock barns (i.e. to drop off supplies, feed, etc).  These passes only allow up to 2-hour parking/access to those areas until 10am when the gates close and the Fair opens to the public at 11am each day. Vehicles that are not moved out of the gated area by 10am will be towed. 

4-H drop off pass

  • 4-H/FFA families with reserved RV camping spots ONLY:

    • Will receive two parking passes per RV space rented. These passes will need to be filled out completely and left with each vehicle it is “registered” to. RV families may pick up RV parking passes from the Fairgrounds office when notified. Vehicles without these passes will be towed. 
    • Will be permitted to move onto the Fairgrounds beginning on Saturday, July 13th. All RVs must be in place by no later than Monday, July 15th at 6pm/ RVs will be allowed to leave the grounds at any time starting Sunday, July 21st with attention to livestock transport trailers and load-out schedules.

    • FAQ: How do I get a Camping Spot? The Fairgrounds camping spots are handled by the Fairgrounds office. There is a waitlist for spots and that list grows longer and longer each year. It does not reset with each year unfortunately, so some families have been on the list for quite a few years. You can contact the fairgrounds to be put on the waiting list but they set reservations back in April. There is limited camping space/spots and the livestock leaders who oversee the barns are given priority spots. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Market Livestock Auction Information - Friday, July 19, 2024

*The 2024 Market Sale will be a live, in-person ONLY sale. There will NOT be an online bidding component. 

4-H/FFA Market Sale Buyer Information Website

2024 Livestock Auction Schedule:

  • 2:00pm – 6:00pm 4-H/FFA & Market Sale Buyers Check-In (Red Sale Pavilion)
  • 3:00pm – 6:00pm 4-H/FFA Market Sale Buyers BBQ Served (Small Animal Tent).
    • 4-H families, to ensure there is enough food for our buyers, please plan to wait until 5pm to help yourself to the BBQ.
  • 3:45pm 4-H Foundation Scholarship Winners Announced (AgWest Tent)
  • 4:00pm – approx. 12:00am 4-H & FFA Livestock Market Sale (AgWest Tent)

Marketing Information and Resources:

Silent Auction for Indoor Projects

If 4-H indoor project members would like to sell their indoor exhibit, exhibitors must declare their selected projects by Tuesday, July 16th at 1:00pm in the Indoor Exhibit Building.

  • Members can enter up to THREE exhibits into the Silent Auction. Items must have been judged and awarded a ribbon to qualify. 
  • The Silent Auction bidding will run from Wednesday of Fair Week starting at 11am through Sunday of Fair Week ending at 5pm in the Indoor Exhibit Building. 

Booth Display Contest for Clubs and Individuals

2024 Fair Theme: "THIS is 4-H Country"

2024 fair logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Booth Display set-up times (Exhibit Building #3):

  • Monday, July 15 (12:00pm - 5:00pm) and/or Tuesday, July 16 (8:00am - 12:00pm)

Divisions include:
1 - Best use of fair theme/4-H promotion by a club or project group
2 - Best use of fair theme/4-H promotion by an individual

4-H Promotional Booth

Please take a moment during fair to sit at our promotional booth in Exhibit Building #3. This booth is decorated to match our 4-H theme and has handouts and information to share with youth that are not currently enrolled in 4-H. SignUp for a shift here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-48972942-2024#/

4-H Cafe Concessions Stand

**Our typical 4-H Fair Concessions stand has been deemed “unusable” this year due to a broken pipe and other structural issues. We are still planning to have concessions, but will definitely need all hands on deck to make this happen! Our priority is to still be able to offer affordable food options all Fair week long to 4-H/FFA families as we know Fair vendor food can be pricey. Even if you are not planning on exhibiting at the 2024 Fair, please consider signing up for a shift to help!

For 2024, our plan is to prepare all concessions food in the commercial kitchen in Exhibit Building #4 (building behind the 4-H Indoor exhibit building) throughout the week and serve food out of a 20x30 Tent in front of our typical 4-H Concessions location at Indoor Arena (sheep/goat/rabbit barn).

We need BOTH Youth & Adults to sign up for Kitchen Shifts (prepping/cooking) and/or Tent Shifts (selling/serving). The money earned from the concessions is a large part of helping youth and volunteers attend events, fund projects and much more! Your couple of hours of work is so helpful to making 4-H successful. 

Youth: Ages 8 and older can work in the Kitchen and/or Concessions Tent. Youth 8-11 years old must be accompanied by an adult. (Please make sure to sign up for an adult slot. If the adult slot is filled, please select another time).

Adults: We will need adults to help with all shifts (kitchen cooking/prepping and selling/serving under the Tent). The more adult help the better!! If your youth is 8-11 years old, please sign up for an Adult slot at the same time as your youth member. Please do not bring youth under 8 years old to the Concessions Stand as this is a safety issue.

SIGN UP HERE: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-50131220-4hcafe

Be sure to arrive about 5 minutes early for your scheduled time at your scheduled location so that you are prepared to start at that time. If you need to reschedule or are unable to make your scheduled time, please find your own replacement.  

CONCESSION STAND OPERATING HOURS:

Wednesday 07/10 – 10:00 am – approx. 4:00 pm (KITCHEN PRE-FAIR PREP DAY – ADULTS ONLY exhibit building #4)

Monday 7/15 - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Tuesday 7/16 - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Wednesday 7/17 - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Thursday 7/18 - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday 7/19 - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm (Market Sale Night)
Saturday 7/20 - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday 7/21- 8:00 am – approx. 2:00 pm (4-H Livestock Areas CLOSED to public - leftovers, snack shack only during Animal Load Out and Barn Clean Up until supplies last)

Please contact one of the 4-H Fair Concessions Co-Managers with any questions or concerns.  Thank you for your help - it is much appreciated! 

Tiffany Togstad (tifftogstad@gmail.com

Laura Fisher (howdy@revivallclothing.com)

Amy Juliano (amy.juliano@yahoo.com)

Toni Berger (trberger1@gmail.com)

Stephanie Lively (livelysteph76@gmail.com)

4-H Office (gallatin4h@montana.edu 406-582-3280)

Old Fashioned 4-H Concessions

4-H Family Fun Night Dance - Saturday Evening

Join our 4-H Camp Counselors & Teen Leaders on Saturday, July 20th from 6pm to 8pm at the AgWest Livestock Show Tent for a night of fun and dancing! Gallatin 4-H Camp Counselors will be leading swing dance and line dance lessons before a free dance for all youth 4-H members!

4-H Fun Dance