Dodge County Fairgrounds - Beaver Dam, WI

As we look forward to the 2012 Dodge County Fair, and the 125th Anniversary Celebration, it's important to review the value of fairs and benefits to youth exhibitors.  Are the benefits worth the many months of time and energy spent getting ready?           Most people feel county fairs are fun (and they are), but a study done by the Department of Rural Sociology at UW-Madison indicates that fairs do indeed play an educational role.  The study compared the fair to the classroom.  County Board members indicated they thought youth learned a great deal at fairs.  They also said they thought the educational value of five days at the fair was equal to that of five days in the classroom.           The obvious questions still remain:  "What did the exhibitor learn?"  Fair competition provides youth with a chance to develop specific skills such as animal showmanship, ...

The County Fair is an exciting time for 4-H members. It is an opportunity to display to the public the handiwork they have made and show animals they have worked with. The 4-H motto is "learn by doing" and the fair is an excellent example of this. 4-H members work on a variety of projects and share these results with the general public at the fair. Through doing this, 4-H'ers learn about working with others, making decisions, and responsibility. An important aspect of the fair is judging. 4-H projects are judged on their quality of workmanship. Although competition is an important part of the fair, the real courage for 4-H members lies in competing to better their own skills, not to "beat" out somebody else. It's exciting for 4-H members to win ribbons and trophies, but sometimes it's the one who comes in last who really wins. They win by learning important things about their projects and themselves. They learn to be good "sports" and grow ...

The public is invited to take a look at what nearly 650 4-H and FFA members in Dodge County have been doing during the year at this year’s county fair. More than 4,500 will be on display at the Dodge County Fair August 15-19 at the fairgrounds near Beaver Dam. For more information contact the Dodge County UW-Extension office, 386-3790. For more information on the Dodge County Fair http://dodgecountyfairgrounds.com

Fair competition provides youth with a chance to develop specific skills such as animal showmanship, demonstration techniques, home economic skills, a variety of craft talents, as well as many others. In many cases, qualified judges meet face-to-face with youth exhibitors and give them suggestions on improvement. In addition, fairs provide an opportunity to learn about people, human nature and cooperation. We cannot overlook the contributions of the many youth and adult volunteers. Without these valuable people, the fair could never happen. For more information on the Dodge County Fair http://dodgecountyfairgrounds.com

Junior Fair exhibitors are busy getting ready for the annual Dodge County Junior Fair, August 15-19.   Activities for the Junior Fair begin Saturday, August 11 with the 4-H Horse Show starting at 8:00 a.m. at the Dodge County Fairgrounds.   Premium judging for this show is followed by speed and game competition. Food and Food Preservation are judged on Monday, August 13, at 9:30 a.m. in the Youth Building at the Dodge County Fairgrounds. Tuesday is entry day. All exhibits must be in place at the fairgrounds by 7 p.m. that day.   Judging for Flowers, Houseplants, Plant Crafts and Home Grounds is in the Youth Building at 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 14. Check-in time for Dairy is from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Weigh-in times for animals are 9 a.m. to noon for Market Hogs, 1 to 4 p.m. for Market Beef and Lambs. All animals (unless otherwise specified) must be checked in by superintendents by 7 p.m. on Tuesday. A Dairy Fitting Contest will also be held Tuesday at 8:00 ...

The Dodge County Dairy Youth participating in the dairy project will again be recognized for their hard work at the 2012 Dodge County Dairy Youth Recognition Auction.   The auction will be held on Sunday, August 19 th at the Dodge County Fair in the Farm Progress Arena.   The pre-sale luncheon will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m., followed by the auction at 11:30 a.m. A maximum of 16 Dodge County Junior Dairy Show participants will be represented in the auction.   To qualify, the youth must have won at least one of 15 classes at the 2012 Dodge County Fair.   The 16 th lot at the 2012 auction will be filled by a random drawing from all dairy youth exhibitors who have turned in an educational card of at least 20 points. Live animals will NOT be sold, but rather a symbol of the sale participant’s achievements will be offered for this sale.   The auction items for the 2012 sale are several dairy farm designs embroidered into 60”x80” wool blankets from ...

The WBEV Radio Park stage will be transformed into a fashion runway as the 4-H style show is presented on Sunday, August 19 at 1:00pm at the Dodge County Fair. But that’s not all! The fun will continue as the Style Show is presented for a second time at the WTKM Stage at 2:15pm. Don’t miss the latest fashion trends constructed and modeled by Dodge County 4-H members. From pajamas to formal attire, these 4-H members really know how to sew! The 4-H members participating in the style show also took part in the Clothing Revue on June 20th. The Style Show is an opportunity for our youth to showcase their talents and for us to thank and encourage them in their sewing projects. Among the youth will be Allison and Emily Schulz, the Dodge County State Fair Clothing Revue delegates. For more information on the Dodge County Fair http://dodgecountyfairgrounds.com

Have you ever arrived at the Dodge County Fair Youth Building and thought, “There are so many neat things in here. But what is it all?!” To answer that question, stop by 4-H Promotion Booth in the Youth Building from 1pm-4pm during the Dodge County Fair August 15-19, to pick up your very own Dodge County Fair Scavenger Hunt list. The lists will guide you through the Youth Building Exhibits by giving clues and riddles. Answer the clue or riddle and it will lead you to the next exciting stop on your tour of the fair. Complete the scavenger hunt list and return it to the Youth Building Office to receive a prize! When you’re in the Youth Building, don’t forget to participate in the fun activities at the 4-H Promotion Booth, go fishing for prizes at the 4-H Fish Pond, or check out the Silent Auction items. You can’t go wrong with the Dodge County Fair Scavenger Hunt; you’ll get all of the sights and sounds of the Dodge County Fair and receive a prize too! For more informatio...