Fairs & Exhibition Opportunities
4-H Youth in Portage County have many opportunities to show off their hard work! Through two county-based fairs, a state fair and other community events, 4-H members are encouraged to enter their projects in as many exhibitions as they wish. Many of our members are also associated with livestock and poultry associations where they showcase their animals and compete in events all across the country!
*All events below are run by community organizations and are not directly organized or operated by 4-H. Please contact the fair boards or leadership committees of individual host organizations if you have questions or concerns.
Community Sponsored Fairs
Amherst Fair
Taking place since 1869, the Amherst Fair, while having grown in size and scope, remains a 4-H and FFA event and opportunity to exhibit agricultural skills and compete for prizes, trophies, and recognition. The 2025 Amherst Fair will be held July 17-20th in Amherst, WI.
Rosholt Fair
The Rosholt Fair became an official fair by action of the committee on July 11 of 1922 when it was decided to move the date of this event to Labor Day and has been held that weekend ever since! The 2025 Rosholt Fair will be held August 29th-September 1st.
WI State Fair
Held since 1891, Wisconsin’s largest agricultural showcase is rounded out with educational programs on agriculture and renewable energy, demonstrations and much more. The 2025 Wisconsin State Fair will be held July 31-August 10th in West Allis, WI.
How to Enter Exhibits for the Portage County Fairs:
Frequently Asked Questions
What if members of my family show in both 4-H and FFA?
Use the 4-H Family instructions. You will be able to change the Club/Chapter affiliation for individual entries if a member wants to show an exhibit through their FFA Chapter instead of their 4-H Club.
Do I have to do entries online? Is there a paper option?
Entries need to be made online by the exhibitor and their family. You are welcome to contact Lisa Henriksen at 715-346-1462 or lisa.henriksen@wisc.edu if you would like help with the online process.
When entering an exhibit based on grade, do I use the grade the exhibitor just graduated from or the grade they are going into this fall?
The exhibitor’s grade is always the grade they were in as of January 1 of the current year. For example, if an exhibitor completed 8th grade in June and will be going into 9th grade in September, they are still competing as an 8th grader in all lots and should not sign up for any “Grade 9 & Up” exhibits.
I see my Cloverbud exhibitors but no Cloverbud entries under Dept. 17-J. How do I enter my Cloverbud for the fair?
Cloverbuds do not have competitive exhibits and therefore won’t sign up for the fair through FairEntry. There is no need to add them as an exhibitor for your family. Cloverbuds who wish to have an exhibit displayed at the Rosholt Fair and judged for a participation ribbon may bring their exhibit to the Youth Building on Thursday night check in of the fair.
I am a member of 4-H but my 4-H Online login will not work.
If you registered after April 1, you are not eligible to show at this year’s Rosholt Fair through 4-H. If you are having an issue remembering your login e-mail or password, please contact Lisa at 715-346-1462 or lisa.henriksen@wisc.edu to have it reset.
The system is asking for my exhibitor's Premises ID. What is this?
A Premises ID is required for any exhibitor showing Dairy, Beef, Swine, Sheep, Goats, Horses, Poultry or Alpacas. Owners of these types of animals need to register their premises with the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium.
I am trying to add an entry but get an error stating that a Project Affiliation is required for my 4-H exhibitor. What does this mean?
The 4-H exhibitor you are trying to add the entry for is not in one of the 4-H Projects required to show that exhibit. You can check your 4-H youth’s project list through your 4-H Online account or by contacting Lisa at 715-346-1462 or lisa.henriksen@wisc.edu. Required project affiliations for exhibits are explained in the Fair Book.
I need to click "Continue to Payment" to submit my entries. Am I being charged for this?
No. There are no charges or entry fees for entering exhibits at the Rosholt Fair. You will need to click “Continue to Payment” when entries are completed for all exhibitors in your family, but there will not be an actual payment.
I submitted entries for one of my exhibitors. Now I can't get back into my account to add entries for another exhibitor.
When you click “Continue to Payment,” you are submitting the entries for your entire family. Your original entries will need to be approved before you can go back into your account and add exhibitors or entries. Wait for the end of the next business day or two before trying again.
