What Achievement Night Is
Achievement Night is the Blount County 4-H awards evening, a night to show off and recognize what members have made and learned during the 4-H year. Members present club demonstrations, and any 4-H member can enter a photo contest or a baking contest. The most recent Achievement Night was Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Ways to Take Part
| Activity | Who can enter | What to bring or send |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstrations | Members presenting a club contest video | A video from the club contest, the same demonstration or a different one |
| Table Top Exhibit | Middle school members | A table top exhibit |
| Photo contest | Any 4-H member | Up to 5 photos in a slide file |
| Baking contest | Any 4-H member | One item per category, plus a recipe |
Photo Contest Rules
- Submit up to 5 photos taken during the 2025-26 school year, one per category: People, Buildings, Landscapes, Animals and Trick.
- Photos may be black and white or color, and each needs a title or caption.
- Include a slide with your name, school or club, and grade.
- Put the photos in a PowerPoint or Google Slides file and send it to the 4-H office by March 6. Late entries are not accepted.
Baking Contest Rules
- Enter one item per category. The categories are Loaf Breads, Pies, Cakes/Muffins, Cornbread, Biscuits, and Brownies/Cookies.
- No-bake items are not allowed.
- Muffins, biscuits, brownies and cookies: bring three on a paper plate in a plastic baggie.
- Cakes, loaf breads and pan breads: bring the whole item, uncut.
- Bring a recipe that shows at least three ingredients were used or mixed.
How It Works: The Timeline
- By March 6: RSVP to the 4-H office and say what you plan to enter, for example a demonstration only, or a demonstration and a photo. Photo files are also due March 6.
- March 12, 5:00 p.m.: Achievement Night at the Extension complex. Bring baking entries with you.
What You Get
Achievement Night gives members a county stage for their year of 4-H work: demonstrations shared with other families, photos judged across five categories, and baked goods judged across six. The county 4-H office also publishes photo search winners by category, with first, second and third place named in several categories, and reports county demonstrators who advance to the Eastern Region Achievement Day contests such as Big 9, where Blount County members earned first and second places in 2026.
Where
Extension complex, 1219 McArthur Road, Maryville, TN 37804. The 4-H office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the phone is 865-982-6430.
Questions
Do I have to give a demonstration to enter the photo or baking contest?
No. Both contests are open to any 4-H member.
Can I send photos after March 6?
No. Late photo entries are not accepted.
Can I enter a no-bake dessert?
No. No-bake items are not allowed in the baking contest.
How many photos can I send?
Up to five, one for each category, and each needs a title or caption.
Official Links
- Blount County 4-H newsletter, February 2026: Achievement Night date, RSVP and contest rules
- Blount County 4-H newsletter, April 2026: photo search winners and Big 9 results
- Eastern Region 4-H Achievement: regional achievement contests
Tennessee UT and TSU Extension: The Essentials
Tennessee Extension has an office in each of the state's 95 counties, grouped into Eastern, Central and Western regions, per the County Connections guide.
What it offers
Programs cover agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development and community economic development. Services include Master Gardener and pesticide safety education.
4-H and livestock
UT Extension runs the state junior livestock shows, and entries go through the county office, per the youth livestock page. Exhibitors need TYQA certification.
TSU Extension
Tennessee State University runs the Tennessee New Farmer Academy, a seven-month certificate program, per its Extension page.
Next steps
Call your county Extension office before you buy an animal, plant a crop or start a project.
Structure
Each county office is led by a County Extension Director who reports to a regional director. Regional offices are in Knoxville, Nashville and Jackson.
Youth programs
Tennessee 4-H builds skills through clubs, camps and afterschool programs under the motto "Learn by Doing."
Dates and rules change each year, so confirm details with your county Extension office or advisor.
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Blount County 4-H Clover Bowl Championship
County quiz-bowl championship for 4-H teams at the Blount County 4-H office in Maryville; held each year, most recently April 14, 2026, at 5 p.m.
- Eastern Region 4-H Grill Master Challenge
Eastern Region 4-H cookout contest at the Blount County Extension Office in Maryville on August 19, 2026, with setup the day before.
- Middle Tennessee Hereford Association Fall Sale
Breeders and buyers meet in Cross Plains for the Middle Tennessee Hereford Association Fall Sale, dated November 21, 2026.
Cross Plains, TN Official event details - Farmington Angus Bull and Female Sale
Farmington Angus Bull and Female Sale is a Tennessee cattle sale in Normandy, set for November 21, 2026.
Normandy, TN Official event details - BOPAT Fall Bull Sale
Cattle buyers head to Bradford for the BOPAT Fall Bull Sale, scheduled for November 28, 2026.
Bradford, TN Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.