What the State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Shows Are
The youth livestock shows are the big finish to the Virginia 4-H and FFA show season. Beef, sheep, swine and meat goat exhibitors bring their projects to The Meadow Event Park in Doswell for the second weekend of the State Fair of Virginia. The program is run by the Virginia Cooperative Extension youth livestock team at Virginia Tech, working with the fair. The 2026 shows ran October 1-4.
Species and Divisions
| Species | Divisions |
|---|---|
| Beef | Market beef (registered and crossbred), commercial or crossbred heifers, prospect steers and heifers, registered breeding heifers |
| Meat goats | Market goats and commercial (non-registered) does, plus registered breeding does |
| Sheep | Market lambs and commercial (non-registered) ewes, plus registered breeding ewes |
| Swine | Market hogs (registered and crossbred), commercial breeding gilts, registered breeding gilts |
Showmanship classes are part of the program.
How It Works: The Timeline
Entering is a two-part process. Nomination comes first and proves ownership and identity; entry comes second and puts the animal in the show. Nomination is not entry, so a nominated animal must still be entered.
- Order DNA envelopes and tags: online by June 23, 2026. Families can order for several siblings in one submission. The final supplies shipped June 24. Packets can be picked up in person at one of seven dates and locations or mailed.
- Nominate and submit DNA: by 5:00 PM on July 1, 2026. Online information must be submitted and the hard copies postmarked and mailed. The system closes automatically at 5:00 PM.
- Enter in FairEntry: the system opened July 3 and closed at 5:00 PM on August 17, 2026.
- Weigh-in and check-in at the fair: in 2025 this took place October 2-3, the days before the shows.
- Shows: October 1-4, 2026.
Who Can Enter and Rules
The shows are open to 4-H and FFA youth. 4-H members sign in to the entry system with their 4HOnline login; FFA members sign in with FairEntry.
What must be nominated
- Beef: all market steers, all market heifers, and commercial or crossbred heifers
- Meat goats: market goats and commercial does
- Sheep: market lambs and commercial ewes
- Swine: all market hogs and commercial gilts
What does not need nomination
- Registered breeding females of every species, and bred and owned bulls entered as registered breeding females
- Prospect steers and heifers, which must weigh under 1,000 pounds at the State Fair weigh-in and check-in. An animal of 1,000 pounds or more cannot show as a prospect and cannot move into the market beef or commercial heifer divisions because it was never nominated.
Other rules
- DNA (hair follicle samples) is required for every nominated animal.
- Sheep and goats need a federally required plastic scrapie tag. Cattle and hogs need one USDA-compliant 840 EID tag; do not add a second tag.
- A nominated animal cannot be shown under another exhibitor's name, and in 2025 the rules also barred nominated animals from county fair or premium auctions, including no-sale buybacks.
- Registered animals must be registered to the exhibitor by the breed association issue date, not the sale date.
- Exhibitors are responsible for reading the General Rules for the State Fair of Virginia and the rules for each species they enter.
- In 2025, all exhibiting youth had to complete annual YQCA instructor-led training before the end of August.
Payment and Fees
In 2025, exhibitors waited for the "Your Entries have been Approved" email from FairEntry before paying. They then printed it and mailed it with a check made payable to "Treasurer of VT," postmarked by the deadline, to Katherine E. Carter, State Fair Youth Livestock Show, 175 W Campus Drive, 380 Litton Reaves Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061. The entry system also lets families choose T-shirt sizes and order extra exhibitor passes. Program costs are covered by private gifts, endowment income and participant fees.
Where
The Meadow Event Park, 13191 Dawn Blvd., Doswell, VA 23047. The State Fair office phone is 804-994-2800.
Questions
Is nominating the same as entering?
No. Nomination establishes ownership and identification. Every animal, nominated or not, must also be entered in FairEntry.
Can I add a nomination after the deadline?
No. Animals that require nomination and were not nominated by the July 1 deadline are not approved for entry.
My steer is over 1,000 pounds. Can it show?
Not as a prospect, and not as a market steer unless it was nominated.
Who do I call?
Katherine Carter, Extension Youth Animal Science Specialist, at 540-231-2257. Scott Greiner, Extension Animal Science Specialist, is at 540-231-9159.
Official Links
- State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Shows: Virginia Tech Extension program page
- 2026 nomination letter: deadlines, nomination and tagging rules
- FairEntry youth livestock entry system
- State Fair of Virginia livestock competitions: rules and species guides
Virginia County Fairs and Youth Livestock Shows: The Essentials
Virginia county fairs run from late June into the fall. In 2026, fairs on one roundup ran from Orange County on June 24 to 27 to Shenandoah County on August 28 to September 5, per a fairs roundup. Dates may change.
State fair
The 2026 State Fair of Virginia ran September 25 to October 4 at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, per the fair press page. The youth beef, sheep, swine and meat goat shows were October 1 to 4, per the nomination letter.
Nomination and tags
Market animals needed nomination and DNA by July 1, and entries closed August 17 in 2026. Sheep and goats needed a scrapie tag, and cattle and hogs an 840 EID tag.
County rules
Shenandoah County required 4-H or FFA enrollment by February 1 and set ownership dates in March and June, per its 2025 rules.
2027 dates
A fair listing shows the Loudoun County Fair July 20 to 24, 2027, and the Prince William County Fair August 13 to 21, 2027. The State Fair of Virginia lists September 24 to October 3, 2027.
Next steps
Ask your county Extension office or FFA advisor for the show book and tagging dates.
Weights and entry rules differ by fair.
Read the full guide: Virginia County Fairs and Youth Livestock Shows
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- State Fair of Virginia
Ten-day state fair held each fall at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County, drawing more than 200,000 fairgoers. Held each year; the most recent dates were Sept. 25 to Oct. 4, 2026, under the theme Virginia's Best of Show.
- Virginia State Fair Junior Dairymen's Contest
Dairy knowledge and judging contest for youth during the first day of the State Fair of Virginia, run in the First Bank Show Ring. Held each year; the most recent date was Sept. 25, 2026.
Doswell, VA | Organizer: Virginia FFA Association Official event details - Virginia State Fair FFA Small Engines Contest
FFA-only small engines contest held in the Best in Show Tent on opening day of the State Fair of Virginia. Held each year; the most recent date was Sept. 25, 2026.
Doswell, VA | Organizer: Virginia FFA Association Official event details - Virginia State Fair Veterinary Science Contest
Veterinary science contest for Virginia students held in the Livestock Tent during State Fair week. Held each year; the most recent date was Sept. 28, 2026.
Doswell, VA | Organizer: Virginia FFA Association Official event details - Virginia State Fair Junior Forester's Contest
Forestry skills contest for young Virginians, staged at the Farm Credit Pavilion on the State Fair grounds. Held each year; the most recent date was Sept. 29, 2026.
Doswell, VA | Organizer: Virginia FFA Association Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.