What the Recognition Banquet Is
The Wayne County 4-H Recognition Banquet is the county program's annual night to honor its members, volunteers and exhibitors. The 2026 banquet is Thursday, November 12, at 6 p.m. in the Event Center at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster. It is run by OSU Extension Wayne County with the Wayne County Agricultural Society (Senior Fair Board), the Wayne County 4-H Advisory Committee and Baughman Grange as sponsors. The 2025 banquet was the 23rd annual and drew more than 400 youth, family members and volunteers. The theme that year was "Recognizing Our Stars."
What Gets Recognized
- Member pins: 4-year, 8-year and last-year pins for 4-H members, sponsored by the Wayne County Granges.
- Service: camp counselors and Junior Fair Board members.
- County Award Medals in project areas such as Clothing and Textiles, Companion Animals, Dairy, Goat and Swine.
- Outstanding Exhibitor awards in each species and age division. They weigh an exhibitor exam, a project record book, showmanship placing and class placings, with champion and reserve champion titles and first through third in the senior, intermediate and junior divisions.
- Outstanding Record Book awards.
- Volunteer service pins from one year up to 40-plus years, plus the Meritorious Service Award.
- Star Club awards for the top clubs.
- Excellence in 4-H Award: the highest youth honor. A candidate must be nominated by a 4-H volunteer and show excellence in leadership, projects and activities, plus ongoing growth and interest in 4-H.
More than 200 youth were recognized in 2025. That year Madison Wade, an 11-year member, received the Excellence in 4-H Award, and Melinda Hill, who retired after 37 years as the Wayne County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educator, received the 4-H Meritorious Service Award. Priscilla Sprang was honored for 56 years of volunteer service.
Who Should Come
4-H members, their families, club advisors and volunteers. Pins, medals and project awards go to members, and families attended in 2025.
The 4-H Year Around the Banquet
The 2026 county calendar put the Wayne County Fair on September 12 to 17, the banquet on November 12 and new volunteer applications due December 1.
Where and When
Thursday, November 12, 2026, 6 p.m., Event Center, Wayne County Fairgrounds, Wooster, Ohio. For cost and reservation details, call the Extension office.
Questions
Is it only for award winners?
No. More than 400 people attended in 2025, and more than 200 youth were recognized.
Who do I call?
OSU Extension Wayne County, 428 W. Liberty St., Wooster, Ohio 44691, 330-264-8722, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Official Links
- Wayne County 4-H Recognition Banquet: program page
- 4-H Program Celebrates Year: awards from the previous banquet
- Wayne County 4-H honors standout members and volunteers: coverage of the banquet
- 2026 major dates: county 4-H calendar
Ohio State University Extension: The Essentials
Ohio State University Extension keeps an office in all 88 Ohio counties, offering 4-H, agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, and community development help, per the Extension page. The same page reports more than 150,000 youth reached by 4-H programs.
Find your office
Use the Locate an Office tool or the personnel directory to find your county educator. Staffing differs by county, so call and ask who handles your topic.
Ask a question
The Ask an Expert page sends general questions to Extension faculty and staff, with replies by email. Master Gardener Volunteers handle yard and garden questions, and Ohioline carries fact sheets and bulletins. For county-specific questions, call your local office.
4-H and fair season
County offices enroll 4-H members and publish their own junior fair deadlines, so ask for your county's livestock requirement sheet before you buy an animal.
Next steps
Save your county office number, check deadlines early and use Ohioline for quick answers. For help with soil, drainage or water questions, your county soil and water conservation district is another local office worth knowing.
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Wayne County 4-H Beef Weigh-In
Market beef project members weigh in at the Coliseum on the Wayne County fairgrounds; Jan. 24 was the weather makeup date. Held each year; the most recent date was Jan. 10, 2026.
Wooster, OH Official event details - Wayne County 4-H Hammer Time Clinic and Quality Assurance
Hammer Time Clinic combined with livestock Quality Assurance for Wayne County 4-H families on April 11, 2026, in the fairgrounds Coliseum.
Wooster, OH Official event details - Wayne County 4-H Early Project Judging
Early judging of 4-H projects was held July 7, 2026 at the fairgrounds Event Center, alongside the Outstanding Exhibitor exam, ahead of the September county fair.
Wooster, OH Official event details - Wayne County 4-H Dairy Clinic
Evening dairy clinic for 4-H dairy project members, July 18, 2026, in the Coliseum at the Wayne County fairgrounds before the September fair.
Wooster, OH Official event details - Wayne County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
Dinner and a social hour at The Wellspring in Wooster lead into the 7:30 PM business meeting. Held each year; the most recent date was August 19, 2026.
4470 W Old Lincoln Way, Wooster, OH | Organizer: Wayne County Farm Bureau Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.