What is the Difference between 4-H Shows & Jr. Shows

And other Burning Questions

The Lee County 4-H Fair & Jr. Show is a joint effort by the University of Illinois Extension-Lee County and the Lee County Fair Association. The event is designed first to give Lee County 4-H members an opportunity to showcase their talents in a county fair environment, and second to give Lee County residents and visitors a positive family fair experience.

Because the two groups share so many resources and rely on each other to coordinate the fair, confusion as to who handles what is inevitable.

So what makes the 4-H portion of the fair different from the Jr. Show portion? Here’s a side by side comparison.

4-H Fair / Jr. Show
Managed by U of I Extension-Lee Co. / Managed by Lee Co. Fair Association
Handles 4-H project departments, Federation Foodstand, Awards Ceremonies, King & Queen Contest, etc. / Handles Jr. Show project departments, fair advertising, food vendors and commercial exhibitors, fair sponsors, Farm Scene Contest, grandstand shows and all other fair entertainment.
Exhibitors are judged through conference judging and receive ratings based on project and knowledge. / Jr. Show projects are judged on project alone. No interviews occur between judge and exhibitor (except in Computer Science classes).
4-H projects are rated Blue, Red, White and are paid premiums through the U of I Extension from funds provided by the Illinois Department of Ag. Trophies donated by outside organizations are awarded during award ceremonies by the 4-H King and Queen. / Jr. Show projects are ranked first through sixth place, with premiums paid for first, second and third place and select department Grand Champions. Ribbons are awarded during the show. Premium checks are distributed Sunday of the fair.
Coordinates the rate of gain and premiere livestock classes. / Manages the Quality Meats & Baked Goods Auction at the fair.
Coordinates state fair delegates and alternates.
Schedules clubs for fair clean-up, set-up and night guard duties. / Guides clubs through responsibilities associated with fair clean-up, set-up and night guard duties.
Manages all fair gates and admission policies, including wristband distribution.

Even though the Lee County 4-H Fair & Jr. Show has been named as such and managed as such for years, people ask why not refer to this event as the Lee County Fair?

Answer:The Lee County 4-H Fair & Jr. Show is not classified as a true county fair because members of the Lee County Fair Association are not appointed by the county board and the group does not receive any funds from the county. The decision to organize in this manner was made years ago, when fair volunteers decided to make a go of it without involvement from a government entity.