4-H at the Fond du Lac County Fair
For many 4-H members, showing their exhibits at the County Fair is the highlight of the summer! This page includes information about the 4-H experience at County Fair. Please also refer to the Fond du Lac County Fair website, which includes details for all exhibitors (not just 4-H) and fair goers.
Fair Office Contact Info:
Fond du Lac County Agricultural Society
P.O. Box 1466
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-1466
Email:
info@fonddulaccountyfair.com (August-May) or
office@fonddulaccountyfair.com (June-July)
Phone: 920-929-3168 (June until after Fair)
Fair Office Hours:
8:00AM to 4:30PM (June until after Fair)
8:00AM to 9:00PM (Fair Week)
New Family Fair Orientation
To help new families understand this process better, a new family fair orientation will be held on Wednesday, June 3 at 6:00pm at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Rec Center. Topics covered include: entering exhibits at the fair, important dates to remember, how judging works at the fair, and answering any questions families may still have. There will also be a short tour of the fairgrounds to help first-year families know where things are judged and what to expect. Karen Albert, a fair board member and 4-H volunteer, will be leading this orientation. Please sign up by Friday, May 29 through the link below.
Important Fair Updates
The 4-H Friday newsletter has timely updates each week about the Fair – contact
the 4-H office at 920-906-4623 if you are not receiving this weekly email.
Fair Book Updates
The premium book is now available on the Fair’s website: http://www.fonddulaccountyfair.com.
A committee of dedicated volunteers spent a significant amount of time and effort reviewing and updating the premium book with the goal of creating excitement and attracting additional youth exhibitors by refreshing and modernizing entry options. This process included adding more current and relevant entry options, while removing entries that have become outdated over time.
As part of the review process, exhibitor premiums were also increased to further support and encourage participation.
About the Fond du Lac County Fair
The Fair is July 15-19, 2026
Many 4-H exhibits are judged before the fair starts (Thursday, July 9 & Tuesday, July 14). The 2026 Fair Premium Book lists timeframes for each exhibit area. You will need to call the fair office at 920-929-3168 to schedule a judging time within those timeframes.
All entries/entry forms MUST be submitted online by 11:59pm on June 17, 2026. See Exhibitor information for details on entering exhibits.
Guide for entering exhibit in Showorks
Questions about fair entries? Reach out to the fair office or the Department Superintendent.
Exhibit Tags
- 4-H members receive an exhibit tag for each Fair entry they submit by the deadline. The tag will have key information about the item. Attach the corresponding exhibit tag to each item. Pick up your exhibitor tags in the Fair Park Office starting Date TBD.
- Any changes to Fair entries are due to the Fair Office by Date TBD.
Judging Day
- Judging takes place on Thursday, July 9 & Tuesday, July 14. Make sure to check the 2026 Fair Premium Book to see when your exhibits are scheduled to be judged. You will need to call the Fair Office to schedule a time within those time frames.
- You will sit down one at a time with a judge to have a brief conversation. The judge will provide feedback and tell you your placing and a corresponding ribbon color. Parents can take pictures of the judging, but are not a part of the judging process.
- If you receive a blue ribbon (1st place) you may be eligible for additional awards. Come back on Tuesday to see if you received one including grand champion, reserve champion, merit award, State Fair, or other special awards. These outstanding exhibits are designated with additional ribbons.
Exhibit Release
- All projects must be claimed by 8:00 p.m. Sunday or they will be disposed of at the discretion of the Fair Board. Premium checks will be distributed at the time of project pickup no sooner than 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Questions?
- Questions about exhibits, judging or anything related to fair operations should be directed to the Fair Office at info@fonddulaccountyfair.com (August-May) or office@fonddulaccountyfair.com (June-July)
- Questions about Market Livestock (beef cattle, swine, goats) should be directed to the Market Livestock committee at fdlmarketlivestock@gmail.com
- Questions about Small Animals (poultry, rabbits) should be directed to the Small Animal Committee at fdlsmallanimal@gmail.com
4-H Food Stands
Sign up to help at one of the 4-H food stands through the Sign-up Genius links below:
Adult Leader Stand Sign Up – can sign up individually or as a club. Proceeds from the Adult Leader Food Stand support annual countywide 4-H Programs such as Family Learning Day, trips, and scholarship opportunities. If you are looking to sign up as a club, please reference the schedule here.
Teen Leader Stand Sign Up – can sign up individually or as a club. Proceeds from the Teen Leader Food Stand support 4-H Teen Leader Association events, activities & scholarships.
Thank you for your support!
Silent Auction
The annual silent auction has generated thousands of dollars for the Fond du Lac County 4-H Endowment Fund. In turn, the interest from the Endowment Fund supports the activities of 4-H members. Each club is asked to donate an item to the silent auction, volunteer to help man the area, and secure donations from three businesses in your area. Let Cindy Koffman know ahead of time how your club will be involved, so space for auction items and volunteer time slots may be allocated. Email Cindy at koffman@kmoraine.com
Thank you for your support!
4-H Graduation
Save the Date – Sunday, July 19, 2026
12th & 13th Graders – please register for the 2026 Graduation! Graduation will be celebrated at 2pm on the Sunday of the Fond du Lac County Fair on stage in the Expo building. To have an accurate program and materials, we ask graduates to fill out the survey. Thanks!
In addition to graduation, we like to highlight our 4-H graduates on Facebook. If you would like to be featured in our graduate spotlight, please fill out the additional information in the survey and upload a photo or two!
Club Flowerpot
Large potted plant displays at the fair provide great visibility for your club, always look great, and are a big hit with the public at the fair. Clubs can also potentially earn cash prizes. Entries should be made online under the club’s name. Complete details for club pots can be found in the 2026 Fair Premium Book. Be as creative as you wish when designing your pot.