About Major Show Entry Night
Panola County 4-H holds an entry night each fall to walk families through the entry process for the county's major livestock shows. The Panola County AgriLife Extension page lists it as Major Livestock Show Entry Night, covering the 2027 major shows.
Dates and deadlines
Entry night is September 24 at 6:00 p.m. at the Expo Hall in Carthage. The year is inferred as 2026 from the surrounding calendar. The page states that entries will be due October 30. This is an annual event; the next date is not yet confirmed.
Other fall dates on the Panola County calendar
- October 1: photography workshop, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., Davis Park Community House
- October 3: 4-H officer training, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Panola College
- October 15: 4-H Cookin' Night at 6:00 p.m., First Methodist Church; the same day, the Panola SWCD Hay Show at 5:30 p.m. at the Expo Hall
- March 1-5, 2027: Panola County Project Fair
Getting there
The Expo Hall is the venue. The Extension page gives no street address for it. The Panola County Extension office is at 110 S. Sycamore St., Room 212, Carthage, TX 75633, phone (903) 693-0380.
Tips for families
- Attend even if you have shown before. The October 30 deadline falls five weeks after the meeting.
- Enroll in 4-H for 2026-2027 through the TX4H website, which the page names as the enrollment route.
- Call the Extension office with any question about which shows the entry process covers.
Official links
- Panola County AgriLife Extension: entry night, 4-H calendar and office contact
Texas County Junior Livestock Shows: The Essentials
A county junior livestock show is where Texas 4-H and FFA members exhibit market animals they have raised, usually in winter, and the best projects sell at a premium auction to local buyers. Exhibitors must be members of a Texas 4-H club or FFA chapter in good standing and work under a County Extension Agent or ag teacher. Age and grade limits are set by each county.
Validation and ownership
Most county shows require Texas 4-H/FFA livestock validation, when animals are ear-tagged, DNA-sampled and tied to the exhibitor, who signs the ethics policy. Typical validation is June for steers, October for lambs and goats and November for swine, but local deadlines win. Offering an animal for sale during the feeding period can make it ineligible for the remaining shows that season.
Sales and ID
Premium sales are run by each county, and many take add-on and sponsor support from local businesses. Animals must carry official ID under USDA and Texas Animal Health Commission rules. Quality Counts, the AgriLife online course, is expected by some shows. Selling a project at a major show makes it ineligible for later majors.
Read the full guide: Texas County Junior Livestock Shows: How They Work
More in Panola County
- Area VI Longview LDE Contest
Texas FFA calendar listing for Area VI Longview LDE Contest, scheduled November 12, 2026 at Panola College, Carthage, Texas. Confirm times and entries with the chapter advisor or area FFA office before attending.
- Area VI Area Leadership Conference
Texas FFA calendar listing for Area VI Area Leadership Conference, scheduled June 14, 2027 at Panola College, Carthage, Texas. Confirm times and entries with the chapter advisor or area FFA office before attending.
- Alexander Blueberry Farms
U-Pick Farm in Deberry, Texas, listed on PickYourOwn.org. Offerings listed: blueberries and blueberry products. Listing advises confirming hours before visiting.
194 County Road 3221, Deberry, TX 75639 | 903-622-4476 - Animal Medical Center
Veterinary practice in Carthage, Panola County, Texas, listed by the Texas Animal Health Commission among clinics with a veterinarian certified to test cattle for trichomoniasis.
Carthage, TX | 903-693-7166 - BRK Meats
BRK Meats operates a USDA-inspected plant on West Panola Street in Carthage, East Texas, per the FSIS 2021 establishment directory.
1317 W. Panola, Carthage, TX 75633 | (903) 693-6122 - KGAS 1590 AM Carthage
Carthage in Panola County is the city of license for KGAS, a sports (espn) station on 1590 AM operated by Hanszen Broadcasting, Inc.; Carthage has about 6,640 residents.
Carthage, TX - Panola College Agriculture
Panola College offers an Associate of Science in Agriculture on its Main Campus in Carthage, with a path toward a bachelor's degree in agriculture.
1109 W. Panola, Carthage, TX 75633 | 903-693-2000 Website - Panola County 4-H
County 4-H program with a Junior Livestock Show, a county Project Fair set for March 1-5, 2027 and District 5 contests, run from Carthage.
110 S Sycamore St Rm 212, Carthage, TX 75633 | (903) 693-0380
More Events in Texas
- Heart of Texas Trade Days
Monthly trade days at G. Rollie White Downs in Brady with handcrafted goods, produce and barnyard finds, plus pens for livestock. Runs the second Saturday of each month except July; 2026 season ends Dec 12.
- Area XI Gulf Coast District FFA LDEs
District-level Texas FFA Leadership Development Events for Gulf Coast District chapters of Area XI, held at Edna High School. Top finishers advance to the Area XI LDEs and on toward the State LDEs.
- Jordan Cattle Auction Barber Ranch and Express Angus Bull Offering
Special offering of Barber Ranch Hereford and Express Angus bulls at Jordan Cattle Auction in San Saba, Nov. 11, 2026.
- Area III Northwest District LDEs
Texas FFA calendar listing for Area III Northwest District LDEs, scheduled November 12, 2026 at Berry Center Northwest Houston, Cypress, Texas. Confirm times and entries with the chapter advisor or area FFA office before attending.
- Area III North District Skills & Job Interview LDEs
Texas FFA calendar listing for Area III North District Skills & Job Interview LDEs, scheduled November 12, 2026 at Lonestar-Tomball, Tomball HS, Tomball, Texas. Confirm times and entries with the chapter advisor or area FFA office before attending.
- Fort Bend County Pecan Show
Pecan competition open to Fort Bend growers; entries are current-year single-variety pecans, at least 40 nuts, no fee. Results shown at the Pecan Harvest Festival in Richmond on November 21, 2026.
- Fall Integrated Pest Management Seminar Dallas
Fall Integrated Pest Management seminar in Dallas on November 12, 2026, per the AgriLife Today Central Texas events page.
- Early Winter Cattle Program Hillsboro
Early Winter Cattle Program in Hillsboro on November 12, 2026, per the AgriLife Today Central Texas events page.
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.