What the Dundy County 4-H Fair Is
The Dundy County 4-H Fair is the week when Dundy County 4-H members bring their animals and projects to the fairgrounds in Benkelman to be judged. It runs from contests in the weeks before the fair through a Saturday livestock sale. The 2026 fair ran July 20 to 25. Events use the fairgrounds' exhibit hall, covered show arena and horse arena.
Contests Before the Fair
- Saturday, July 11, 7:30 a.m.: air rifle and .22 rifle contests
- Saturday, July 18, 7:30 a.m.: archery contests
- Sunday, July 19, 5:00 p.m.: fairgrounds cleanup and a 4-H hamburger feed for members and families
How It Works: The 2026 Timeline
Monday, July 20
- 8:00 a.m.: dog show, covered show arena
- 10:00 a.m.: companion animal show in the exhibit hall, with rabbit, poultry and other small animals first, then cats
- 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.: open and 4-H exhibit entry
Tuesday, July 21
- 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.: 4-H exhibit entry, then exhibit hall judging begins
Wednesday, July 22
- 8:00 a.m.: horse show registration; 8:30 a.m. horse show begins
- 3:30 p.m.: hog weigh-in, with hogs in the barns
- 4:30 p.m.: sheep and goat weigh-in, and beef weigh-in, with market animals in the barns
Thursday, July 23
- 8:30 a.m.: livestock judging contest, covered show arena
Friday, July 24
- 8:00 a.m.: hog show, followed by beef (45 minutes after hogs), then sheep and goats
- 2:00 p.m.: round robin, or 30 minutes after the goat show
- 3:00 p.m.: ultrasound of livestock, where the exhibitor must be present
Saturday, July 25
- 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: exhibit hall release and cleanup for 4-H and open class
- 2:00 p.m.: livestock sale, covered show arena
- After the sale: release and cleanup for animals going home
Rules for Livestock Exhibitors
- Market animals must be in the barns by the weigh-in times above.
- Exhibitors must attend the ultrasound session.
- Youth are responsible for caring for market animals until they are shipped for processing.
- Youth must be present to help load animals at shipping time and must clean their pens or stalls.
What You Get
Exhibitors earn ribbons and placings in their classes, take part in the round robin showmanship contest, and can sell market animals at the Saturday livestock sale. Open class exhibits are accepted at the same entry time as 4-H exhibits on Monday evening.
Where
Dundy County Fairgrounds, Benkelman, Nebraska. Printed fairbooks are available at the Extension office, and a digital fairbook and digital open class fairbook are posted on the Extension fairbook page.
Questions
When is the livestock sale?
Saturday, July 25 at 2:00 p.m. in the covered show arena in the 2026 schedule.
What time do the hog, beef, sheep and goat shows start?
Friday at 8:00 a.m. with hogs, followed by beef, sheep and goats in that order.
When can open class entries come in?
Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the exhibit hall.
Where do I get the fairbook?
At the Extension office, or on the fairbook page listed below.
Official Links
- Dundy County 4-H Fairbooks and Information: schedule and fairbooks
Nebraska County Fairs: The Essentials
Nebraska county fairs are run by local fair boards and agricultural societies, while Nebraska Extension runs the 4-H side. Nebraska 4-H points to nebraskafairs.org for a printable list of fair dates and locations.
Examples
Cherry County's 2024 book paid purple $5, blue $4, red $3 and white $2 on standard classes. Pawnee County's 2026 book paid $7, $5, $3 and $1 on typical breeding and market classes and requires YQCA before June 15. Saline County's open class is open to any Nebraska resident, with animal entries due June 13 in its 2025 book. Deadlines differ by county, so read your fair book early.
State fair
The Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island ran August 28 to September 7 in 2026 per Pawnee County's book. 4-H youth must enroll by June 15, static exhibits need a county purple ribbon, and livestock entries close August 10 at 8 p.m. Central.
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Dundy County 4-H Air Rifle and .22 Rifle Contests
Pre-fair 4-H shooting contests for air rifle and .22 rifle held Saturday July 11, 2026 at 7:30 am at the Benkelman fairgrounds; archery follows a week later.
Benkelman, NE | Organizer: Nebraska Extension in Dundy County Official event details - Dundy County 4-H Livestock Judging Contest
Youth livestock judging contest on Thursday July 23, 2026 at 8:30 am during Dundy County 4-H Fair week, the day before the hog, beef, sheep and goat shows.
Benkelman, NE | Organizer: Nebraska Extension in Dundy County Official event details - Dundy County 4-H Livestock Sale
Closing event of the Dundy County 4-H Fair, held Saturday July 25, 2026 at 2 pm in Benkelman; youth market animals are sold and shipped for processing.
Benkelman, NE | Organizer: Nebraska Extension in Dundy County Official event details - Nebraska Wheat Board Meeting
Wheat checkoff board meeting on the Nebraska Wheat calendar, held in Lincoln on Nov. 18, 2026, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.
- Nebraska Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and Convention
Farm Bureau members meet for policy voting, discussion meet rounds, workshops, a keynote and board elections. The 2026 meeting is Dec. 6 to 8; the 2025 convention was also held in Kearney.
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.