What the Junior Market Goat Show Is
The Junior Market Goat Show (Division 575, with showmanship as Division 565) opens the livestock week at the State Fair of West Virginia. Market goats are judged by weight group. The most recent show ran Thursday, August 13 and Friday, August 14, 2026 in the Small Stock Arena.
Who Can Enter
- Exhibitors must be current members of a West Virginia 4-H club or FFA chapter, enrolled by March 1 of the show year, with a current project that meets State Fair requirements. 4-H members are youth born between October 1, 2004 and June 30, 2017. FFA members stay eligible until November 30 following the fourth National FFA Convention after high school graduation.
- Market show exhibitors must be 9 years old on or before the show date.
Goat Rules
- Ownership by June 10, 2026. Each goat must wear the official State Fair tag by that date, with tag numbers on the entry form.
- Each exhibitor may enter a maximum of two goats.
- Goats must weigh 60 to 110 pounds. They may be does or wethers, must carry all kid teeth (checked at weigh-in), and wethers are checked for testicular tissue. Horns must be tipped with no sharp points.
- Goats are assigned to weight divisions after weigh-in. A goat shown in the market show may not be shown in the purebred Boer goat show.
- Only goats that will be exhibited are allowed in the barns. Pronged or pinched collars and muzzles are not permitted.
- All sheep and goats need scrapie ID (ear tags or tattoos) before leaving the farm. Out-of-state goats need a veterinary inspection certificate good for 30 days with a statement that the flock is free of contagious disease.
Classes
Light, medium and heavy weight market goats each get a champion and reserve, then Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat. Goats are weighed in ahead of the show on the fair's livestock schedule.
Entering and Fees
- Junior entries are online only; paper entries are not accepted. 2026 entries opened May 27 and closed at midnight on July 8. Late entries were accepted until midnight on July 15 with a $50 late fee per junior exhibitor, and none after that.
- Fees: $15 entry fee for every exhibitor in the Junior Show, plus a one-time $10 processing fee. Exhibitors collect an exhibitor packet when they arrive at the fair.
- Each junior livestock exhibitor receives a five-day complimentary admission ticket.
Showmanship, Premier Exhibitor and the Sale
Every junior must show in the showmanship contest for each species they exhibit. Skipping showmanship means no other classes and no part in the Youth Livestock Sale. Showmanship, a one-time multi-species livestock skillathon and the animal classes also decide the Junior and Senior Premier Exhibitor awards.
The Sale
The Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat are terminal and must be harvested. Their exhibitors may consign them to the Greenbrier/Monroe Youth Livestock Association sale on Monday, August 17, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. in the Tractor Supply Small Stock Arena, and the association delivers them to a federally inspected facility. A sample is drawn from each champion immediately after the class and sent to an independent lab for drug screening. Questions: 304-645-1090.
Where and When
Small Stock Arena, State Fair of West Virginia fairgrounds, 947 Maplewood Ave, Lewisburg, WV 24901, 3 miles south of Interstate 64 exit 169. Gate admission on Thursday, August 13 was $10 (with a $25 Mega Pass), and Friday, August 14 was $15, or $8 for military. Livestock trailers use Gate 5 (the Livestock Gate on 219 North); the parking permit costs $10 a day, with no overnight parking.
The fair's next edition is set for August 12-21, 2027.
Official Links
- Livestock Exhibitor's Guide and Premium Book 2026: classes, rules, fees and premiums
- Livestock Competitions: entry status and judges list
- Tickets: gate prices and fair week specials
- Fair FAQs and directions: location and policies
- Scholarship and Awards: State Fair scholarships for junior show participants
West Virginia County Fairs and Youth Livestock Shows: The Essentials
West Virginia county fairs run from June into September, with samples in 2026 from the Mineral County Fair on June 16-20 to the Tyler County Fair July 27 to August 1, per their listings. Dates change yearly.
State Fair
The State Fair of West Virginia ran August 13 to 22, 2026, in Lewisburg. Junior shows ran from market goats on August 13-14 to market hogs and steers on August 16, per the livestock exhibitors guide.
Who can show
State Fair juniors must be enrolled in a West Virginia 4-H club or FFA chapter by March 1 and be at least 9 on the show date. Entries are online only.
Ownership and tags
Market steers and heifers had a March 1 ownership deadline in 2026, and most other market animals June 10. All market animals need an official RFID tag and a visual tag.
Health
Out-of-state animals need a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, per the state agriculture department. Sheep and goats need scrapie ID.
Next steps
Ask your county Extension office or FFA advisor for your fair book, tagging dates and sale rules. Weights and entry rules differ by fair.
Premiums, entry fees and showmanship rules vary, so read the current premium book before you pay.
Read the full guide: West Virginia County Fairs and Youth Livestock Shows
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Greenbrier Valley GLCI Pasture Management Workshop
Pasture management workshop and field day at Master's Farm in Ronceverte with food and free raffles for attendees. Held each year; the most recent workshop ran June 20, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
635 Horshoe Bend Rd, Ronceverte, WV 24970 | Organizer: Greenbrier Valley GLCI Official event details - State Fair of West Virginia
Held each year at the fairgrounds near Lewisburg; the most recent dates were August 13-22, 2026, for the 101st annual fair. Livestock competitions, 4-H and FFA exhibits and concerts fill the ten days.
- State Fair of West Virginia Open Prospect Steer and Heifer Show
Open class prospect steer and heifer show opening the beef cattle week at the State Fair of West Virginia; most recent show was Sunday, August 16, 2026, in the Large Livestock Arena.
- State Fair of West Virginia Junior Market Steer and Heifer Show
Market steers, market heifers and performance steers (Divisions 560-562) are judged in the Large Stock Arena; most recent show was Sunday, August 16, 2026.
- State Fair of West Virginia Junior Market Hog Show
Youth market hog show (Division 563) in the Small Stock Arena on the same Sunday as the market steer class; the most recent date was August 16, 2026.
All West Virginia events by date
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.