How Kentucky County Fairs and Youth Livestock Shows Work
Kentucky's youth livestock season starts in late spring and runs through the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville. Most county fairs are run locally with the county Cooperative Extension office, 4-H clubs and FFA chapters, and each fair publishes its own schedule and rules. The examples below come from published state agriculture department, Extension, 4-H and fair pages, and dates change from year to year, so confirm with your fair board and Extension agent before you plan a trailer trip.
2026 County Fair Livestock Show Dates
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture lists open beef, swine, sheep and dairy shows at county fairs across the state. These 2026 beef show start times and dates are a sample from its county fair beef show list:
- Taylor County Fair: May 23, 6 p.m.
- Clark County Fair: June 6, 5 p.m., with registration and weigh-in 3 to 4:30 p.m.
- Woodford County Fair: June 6, 10 a.m.
- Scott County Fair: June 24, 6 p.m.
- Western Kentucky State Fair: June 27, 6 p.m., with pre-registration at fairentry.com
- Hardin County Fair: July 8, 6:30 p.m.
- Kenton County Fair: July 13, 6 p.m.
- Franklin County Fair: July 17, 6 p.m.
- Madison County Fair: July 28, 6 p.m.
- Monroe County Fair: August 1, 9 a.m.
- Carter County Fair: August 10, 4 p.m.
Swine shows follow a separate calendar, listed on the county fair swine show list. The department also posts sheep and dairy lists. The Danville-Boyle County Fair, for example, scheduled its 2026 swine show for June 6, beef for June 10, and sheep and goats for June 11, per its livestock page. Some shows limit entries, such as the Lexington Lions Bluegrass Fair, which is 4-H and FFA youth only.
The Kentucky State Fair
The 2026 Kentucky State Fair ran August 20 to 30 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, per the fair listing. The 4-H department calls it the annual showcase for 4-H project work. Its 4-H state fair rules set exhibitors at 9 to 18, meaning past the 9th birthday and not past the 19th as of January 1, with Kentucky residency required. Livestock entry forms must be signed or verified by the supervising 4-H Extension agent.
For market animals, the department's beef show page says steers and heifers must compete in at least one department-sponsored District Show or Junior Livestock Expo between March 14 and July 25, 2026. Its swine page says market hogs must be placed in a swine class at a District Show or Junior Livestock Expo, and all hogs must be validated.
Who Can Show
Junior livestock shows are for 4-H and FFA members with an approved project. In the department's junior beef shows, divisions are set by age on January 1: 9 to 11, 12 to 13, 14 to 16 and 17 and up, and each exhibitor must show their own animal. Junior swine rules limit exhibitors to six entries, allow barrows and gilts but not boars, and add a novice division for exhibitors 8 and under as of January 1, limited to one KUIP-tagged entry in their name.
Ownership, Validation and Tagging
The UK Animal and Food Sciences ownership, possession and care rules set these project-year deadlines:
- Market steers and heifers: March 18
- Market goats, lambs and hogs: May 20
- Breeding beef, does, ewes and gilts: June 1
Animals must be in the member's physical possession and under daily care of the member or parents or guardians, kept in Kentucky at the member's home, a relative's home within the county or an adjoining county no more than 30 miles away, a leased site meeting those limits, or a 4-H or FFA school farm. Market animals need the online validation and location form. Co-tagging is allowed only among siblings unless a waiver is granted. Officials can inspect validated animals at any time, and refusing is a ban. A first violation brings a one-year ban from 4-H and FFA youth shows in Kentucky, and a second is a lifetime ban. Those are the 2022 rules posted on the site, so confirm current dates with your agent.
Swine and market entries at the department's shows must carry Kentucky Uniform Identification Program (KUIP) tags, and the swine page lists May 14 as the KUIP identification deadline.
Weights and Entries
- Beef: the department lists no weight limit for market animals. Classes are split by weight, and heifers are shown by weight. Re-weighs are not allowed, though an exhibitor may challenge a weight once, before another animal is weighed.
- Swine: 280 pounds maximum. Hogs 15 pounds or more over declared weight are disqualified.
- Entries: beef exhibitors may bring up to 10 entries with no more than 5 market animals, and no animal may show more than once except in the championship drive.
Health Rules and Deadlines
Animals at department shows need a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection written in the current calendar year, with Kentucky animals individually identified on it. Animals with warts, ringworm, pinkeye, foot rot or other infectious signs are not eligible. Kentucky is brucellosis and tuberculosis free, so no test is required for those diseases. Questions go to the Office of the State Veterinarian at (502) 573-0282.
Deadlines vary by fair, so check your premium book early. At the state fair, 4-H rabbit and poultry showmanship entries were due July 9, and electronic registration for most 4-H exhibits closed August 5, per the 4-H state fair rules. Livestock are exempt from that electronic registration.
Show Day and Premiums
Expect check-in well before the show. Danville-Boyle, for example, wanted beef on the grounds by 4:30 p.m. and swine by 8:30 a.m., with weigh-in closing at 8 a.m. Premiums at county fairs are small. Boyle County paid $10, $7, $5 and $3 for standard swine, sheep and goat classes, with a $50 prize for the top market lamb, goat or hog. State fair 4-H premiums are mailed to the exhibitor, which requires a Social Security or tax ID number.
Practical Tips
- Enroll in 4-H or FFA first, then ask your agent or advisor for the validation and tagging dates before you buy an animal.
- Keep your Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, tag records and location form together.
- Pre-register wherever a show asks, such as the Western Kentucky State Fair.
- Read your fair's rules. Breed classes often need three to ten head to run.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old do I need to be to show at the state fair?
4-H exhibitors must have passed their 9th birthday and not their 19th as of January 1.
When do market lambs and hogs have to be owned?
The ownership deadline is May 20 of the project year for market goats, lambs and hogs, and March 18 for market steers and heifers.
Do I need a vet certificate?
Yes. Department shows require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection from the current calendar year.
Where do I find my county fair book?
Ask your county Cooperative Extension office or FFA advisor.
Kentucky Listings Covered by This Guide
- Taylor County Fair Open Beef Show
Open beef show at the Taylor County Fair in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was May 23, 2026. Exhibitors on the grounds by 5 pm for a 6 pm show.
Campbellsville, KY | Organizer: Taylor County Fair Official event details - Taylor County Fair Open Dairy Show
Open dairy show at the Taylor County Fair in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was May 23, 2026. Arrive 9 am, show 10 am.
Campbellsville, KY | Organizer: Taylor County Fair Official event details - Taylor County Fair
Taylor County Fair open show schedule for 2026: a beef show on May 23 and a dairy show on May 23. Held each year; the most recent dates were the 2026 show days.
- Ballard County Fair
Ballard County Fair in LaCenter, a two-day fair with harness racing. Held each year; the most recent dates were May 22-23, 2026.
LaCenter, KY Official event details - Russell County Fair Open Beef Show
Open beef show at the Russell County Fair in Russell Springs, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was May 29, 2026. Exhibitors arrive by 5 pm for the 6 pm Central start.
Russell Springs, KY | Organizer: Russell County Fair Official event details - Russell County Fair
The Russell County Fair hosts open livestock competition, with a beef show on May 29 and a dairy show on June 1. Held each year; the most recent dates were in 2026.
- Graves County Fair
Graves County Fair at Mayfield, organized by the Graves County Fair Association, runs May 29-31 on the 2026 harness racing fair calendar. Held each year; the most recent dates were May 29-31, 2026.
Mayfield, KY | Organizer: Graves County Fair Association, Inc Official event details - Marion County Fair Sheep Show
Sheep show at the Marion County Fair in Lebanon, Marion County. Held each year; the most recent date was 2026-05-30 at 17:30, so check with the fair board for the next schedule.
Lebanon, KY | Organizer: County fair board Official event details - Russell County Fair Open Poultry Show
Open poultry show at the Russell County Fair in Russell Springs, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was May 30, 2026. Check-in 9 am, show 10 am Central; held with the Russell County Jaycee Fair.
Russell Springs, KY | Organizer: Russell County Fair Official event details - Marion County Fair
Marion County Fair open show schedule for 2026: a beef show on July 11, a sheep show on May 30, and a dairy show on June 13. Held each year; the most recent dates were the 2026 show days.
- McCracken County Fair Harness Racing
Two-day harness racing card at the McCracken County Fair in Paducah. Held each year; the most recent dates were June 5 and 6, 2026.
Paducah, KY | Organizer: McCracken County Fair board Official event details - Metcalfe County Fair
Metcalfe County Fair open show schedule for 2026: a dairy show on June 5. Held each year; the most recent dates were the 2026 show days.
- McCracken County Fair
McCracken County Fair in Paducah appears on the 2026 harness racing fair calendar for June 5-6. Held each year; the most recent dates were June 5-6, 2026.
Paducah, KY Official event details - Clark County Fair Beef Show
Opening-weekend beef show at the Clark County Fair. Held each year; the most recent date was June 6, 2026.
- Woodford County Fair Open Beef Show
Open beef show at the Woodford County Fair in Versailles, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 6, 2026. Check-in 8-9:30 am, show at 10 am.
Versailles, KY | Organizer: Woodford County Fair Official event details - Woodford County Fair Open Poultry Show
Open poultry show at the Woodford County Fair in Versailles, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 6, 2026. Check-in 9-10 am, show 10 am.
Versailles, KY | Organizer: Woodford County Fair Official event details - Lexington Lions Bluegrass Fair
Lexington Lions Bluegrass Fair open livestock program includes a beef show on June 7, a sheep show on June 8, and a swine show on June 11 at 7 pm. Held each year; the most recent dates were in June 2026.
Lexington, KY Official event details - Russell County Fair Open Dairy Show
Open dairy show at the Russell County Fair in Russell Springs, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 1, 2026. Arrive 9 am Central, show 10 am.
Russell Springs, KY | Organizer: Russell County Fair Official event details - Shelby County Fair Open Poultry Show
Open poultry show at the Shelby County Fair in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 10, 2026. Check-in 2 pm, show 3 pm.
Shelbyville, KY | Organizer: Shelby County Fair Official event details - Murray-Calloway County Fair Beef Show
Beef show at the joint Murray-Calloway County Fair. Held each year; the most recent date was June 11, 2026.
Murray, KY Official event details - Murray-Calloway County Fair Swine Show
Swine show at 6 pm with check-in at 4 pm. Held each year; the most recent date was June 11, 2026.
Murray, KY Official event details - Murray-Calloway County Fair Sheep Show
Afternoon sheep show at 2 pm with check-in at 1 pm. Held each year; the most recent date was June 11, 2026.
Murray, KY Official event details - Trigg County Fair Open Beef Show
Open beef show at the Trigg County Fair in Cadiz, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 11, 2026. Cattle on the grounds by 8 am for the 10 am show.
Cadiz, KY | Organizer: Trigg County Fair Official event details - Trigg County Fair Open Swine Show
Open swine show at the Trigg County Fair in Cadiz, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 11, 2026. Check-in 7 am, show 8 am.
Cadiz, KY | Organizer: Trigg County Fair Official event details - Nicholas County Fair Open Sheep Show
Open sheep show at the Nicholas County Fair in Carlisle, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 11, 2026. Check-in 3-5 pm, show at 6 pm.
Carlisle, KY | Organizer: Nicholas County Fair Official event details - Trigg County Fair Open Poultry Show
Open poultry show at the Trigg County Fair in Cadiz, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 11, 2026. Check-in 8 am, show 9 am Central.
Cadiz, KY | Organizer: Trigg County Fair Official event details - Murray-Calloway County Fair
Open livestock shows at the Murray-Calloway County Fair include a beef show on June 11, a swine show on June 11 at 6 pm, and a sheep show on June 11. Held each year; the most recent dates were these 2026 show dates.
- Nicholas County Fair
Nicholas County Fair open show schedule for 2026: a beef show on June 13, a swine show on June 13 at 6 pm, and a sheep show on June 11. Held each year; the most recent dates were the 2026 show days.
- Trigg County Fair
Open livestock shows at the Trigg County Fair include a beef show on June 11, a swine show on June 11 at 8 am, and a sheep show on July 11. Held each year; the most recent dates were these 2026 show dates.
- Shelby County Fair Open Swine Show
Open swine show at the Shelby County Fair in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 12, 2026. Check-in at 7 am, show at 8 am.
Shelbyville, KY | Organizer: Shelby County Fair Official event details - Woodford County Fair Open Swine Show
Open swine show at the Woodford County Fair in Versailles, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 12, 2026. Check-in 4:30-5:30 pm, show at 6 pm.
Versailles, KY | Organizer: Woodford County Fair Official event details - Shelby County Fair Open Sheep Show
Open sheep show at the Shelby County Fair in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 12, 2026. Check-in 12:30 pm, show at 1:30 pm.
Shelbyville, KY | Organizer: Shelby County Fair Official event details - Clark County Fair
Eight-day regional agricultural fair at the Clark County Fairgrounds, established in 1948 and drawing an estimated 40,000 visitors. Held each year; the most recent dates were June 13-20, 2026.
- Gallatin County Fair Open Swine Show
Gallatin County's open swine show takes place June 13 at 3 pm during the county fair. Held each year; these are the most recent dates, in 2026. Other open shows at the same fair: sheep June 13.
- Gallatin County Fair Open Sheep Show
Gallatin County fair sheep exhibitors show on June 13 at 2 pm in the open sheep division. Held each year; these are the most recent dates, in 2026. Other open shows at the same fair: swine June 13.
- Nicholas County Fair Open Beef Show
Open beef show at the Nicholas County Fair in Carlisle, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 13, 2026. Check-in runs 8-10 am before an 11 am start.
Carlisle, KY | Organizer: Nicholas County Fair Official event details - Shelby County Fair Open Beef Show
Open beef show at the Shelby County Fair in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 13, 2026. Cattle must be on the grounds by 9 am for the 10 am show.
Shelbyville, KY | Organizer: Shelby County Fair Official event details - Nicholas County Fair Open Swine Show
Open swine show at the Nicholas County Fair in Carlisle, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 13, 2026. Check-in 3-5 pm, show at 6 pm.
Carlisle, KY | Organizer: Nicholas County Fair Official event details - Woodford County Fair Open Sheep Show
Open sheep show at the Woodford County Fair in Versailles, Kentucky. Held each year; the most recent date was June 13, 2026. Check-in 12:30-1:30 pm, show at 2 pm.
Versailles, KY | Organizer: Woodford County Fair Official event details - Gallatin County Fair
The Gallatin County Fair hosts open livestock competition, with a swine show on June 13 at 3 pm and a sheep show on June 13. Held each year; the most recent dates were in 2026.
Plus 174 more. Find yours on your county's page in the Kentucky directory.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.