The Brown County 4-H Fair wrapped up several weeks ago and planning for next year’s event has started as the Brown County 4-H Fair Board recently voted to move the fair to June in 2023.

The news was announced in a Facebook post to the Brown County 4-H Fair group by board President Mark Stargell last week, announcing the board voted on Aug. 9 to move the fair to June 12 through 17 next year.

“While we know this decision will not affect each family in the same capacity we do collectively feel that this is the best path forward,” the post reads. “It will allow 4-Hers to show at both the county and state level eliminating the overlap and rush from county to state fair.”

The Indiana State Fair closed this weekend after opening on July 29.

The Brown County 4-H Fair this year ran from July 24 through 31. Stargell said that as far as he knows the fair has always been held the last week of July and that he did not believe it has been moved to June before. With the fair happening late July, exhibits are often missing from the Brown County fair as participants receive awards and then head to the state fair to compete.

There was not always an overlap though.

Officials with the Indiana State Fair said they wanted to shift its dates from August to July for a two-year period, but that decision has now lasted for six or seven years, Stargell said.

For those in the agricultural realm of the fair, everything will basically need to be done a month earlier, Stargell said.

“It can be done, you’re just going to have to adjust for the first year,” he said.

The state fair was not the only factor, as the decision to move to June is multi-faceted. Another main reason is the financial pressure it puts on families having the fair in late July, Stargell said.

With the fair being at the end of July, there are high costs for those paying for nights out at the fair and then going back to school the next week.

Heat is also a factor, as it has been identified as a contributing factor in the decline of vendors in the commercial building.

“Our commercial area is slowly dying, a lot of folks are saying it’s too hot to be there for four hours,” he said. “(The move) will help with that.”

The carnival rides and games will still be Funtime Carnival, Stargell added.

After the post was made on Facebook, mixed reviews in the comments ensued. Some were happy for the change as it allowed more time to enjoy summer before school starts. Others were concerned the decision did not take the timeline of 4-H projects, particularly raising livestock for the county fair, into consideration.

Exciting, daunting

Savannah Poling has been in 4-H for eight years, showing different livestock each fair. She said she has concerns about the fair moving seven weeks earlier than usual.

“Our 4-H fair has always been towards the end of July so that the animals that we bring have time to develop correctly and so that the kids have time to bond with their animals,” she said.

Many kids, she added, don’t have as much time during the school year to do devote to 4-H projects because they have extra-curricular activities. Those who graduate in June will have to head straight to the fair, she said.

She also expressed concern that agricultural projects, such as vegetables and flowers, also will not be ready for the fair by mid-June

“The flowers will not be ready and the vegetables will not be ready unless they have a greenhouse and many kids don’t have access to that,” she said.

As far as animals go, Poling said that breeders will not have animals ready for 4-H participants to purchase unless they’re born in January.

The schedule also presents a problem with conflicting summer activities, Poling believes.

“Many students will have parks and recreation activities and will have to choose between fair and a sport,” she said.

Poling said she was disappointed and wished that ideas of 4-H kids had been taken into consideration by the fair board in making the decision to move the fair.

“We would just like to get our voices heard on how we feel about this decision,” she said.

Jenise Bohbrink has been involved with 4-H for more than 35 years, as a 4-H member, volunteer, Extension Educator, 4-H judge, Indiana State Fair employee, and now a 4-H parent.

Bohbrink said moving the fair to June will be a change and an adjustment for everyone. She said multiple counties across the state are moving their fair dates as well.

The change, she said, is due to the Indiana State Fair dates moving up and the start date for schools bleeding into late July and early August. There will be a few less weeks to get to ideal market weights for livestock, but that many of those animals should already “be on the ground” now or their mothers already bred, she added.

With proper husbandry and feed the animals can still be ready for the fair in mid-June and breeding plans can be adjusted for the 2024 fair.

“In 2020 and 2021 we all adjusted to not having a fair or it being virtual,” Bohbrink said. “We all survived that change. And we will adjust through this change as well. Projects will still be completed, life skills will be learned, it will just happen on a different timeline.”

Regarding animals making weight for fair, Purdue 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator Katie Finney said that in future years, correct breeding and feeding programs will address this shift so that animals will be market-ready by June.

“This first year will certainly be a challenge and I am happy to support families and the auction committee as we navigate a June fair,” she said.

She added that she thinks the change is both exciting and daunting.

“There are legitimate concerns and there are new opportunities,” she said. “In 4-H we ‘learn by doing,’ and what better way to model that than by embracing a challenging change and turning it into something even better than before.”

Interested in joining 4-H?

If any child or family is interested in joining 4-H and learning how to complete projects and be part of the experience as a member or volunteer, contact Katie Finney at the Purdue Extension Office by calling 812-988-5495.

“All of the volunteers are ready and willing to help you ‘Make the Best Better,’” 4-H parent Jenise Bohbrink said.