How Nevada County Fairs and Junior Livestock Shows Work
Nevada's youth livestock season is built around a handful of county fairs and one big regional show. Most counties run their own fair with the local University of Nevada, Reno Extension 4-H office, FFA chapters and fair board, and the biggest northern Nevada event is the Nevada Junior Livestock Show and Sale in Reno. Rules differ from fair to fair, so the premium book or rule book for your show always beats a general guide. Dates and rules below come from the published pages linked in each section and may change, so confirm with the organizer before you buy an animal or mail an entry.
The Nevada Junior Livestock Show and Sale
This is the annual market animal show for Northern Nevada. The 2026 show was scheduled for June 10 to 14 at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center, per the tentative schedule. In 2026 it ran as part of the official State Fair of Nevada at the Nevada State Fairgrounds in Reno, June 11 to 13, and doubled as the statewide Nevada 4-H Expo, according to the UNR Extension event page. The fair returned after 16 years and included the Governor's Livestock Sale of Champions.
The tentative 2026 schedule put weigh-in and check-in on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, breeding shows Thursday, feeder and market quality shows and showmanship Friday, the round robin showmanship Saturday morning, the Governor's Sale of Champions at 5 p.m. Saturday and the auction at 6 p.m. Animals were released Sunday morning.
Other Nevada County Fairs
Nevada fairs come in all sizes. Published listings describe these:
- Clark County Fair and Rodeo, Logandale: each April at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Moapa Valley
- Churchill County Junior Livestock Show and Sale, Fallon: late April, held indoors at the Rafter 3C Arena with swine, sheep, beef, goat, poultry and rabbits (2024 coverage)
- Lincoln County Fair and Rodeo, Panaca: early August
- Eureka County Fair, Eureka: early August
- Lyon County Fair, Rodeo and Silver State Livestock Expo, Yerington: mid-August
- White Pine County Fair and Horse Races, Ely: third weekend of August
- Elko County Fair, Elko: two weekends around Labor Day
- Tri-County Fair and Stampede, Winnemucca: Labor Day weekend
- Nevada Agricultural Fair, Douglas County Fairgrounds, Gardnerville: July 16 to 19, 2026, free admission (listing)
Timing for most of these comes from the WorldAtlas fair roundup and the Fallon Post events list. Exact days shift each year, and other counties hold fairs too, so ask your Extension office for yours.
Who Can Show
The 2022 Nevada Junior Livestock Show rule book is open to FFA, 4-H, Grange and independent exhibitors from Nevada, plus exhibitors from these California counties: Alpine, El Dorado, Inyo, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas and Sierra. Exhibitors must be at least 9, with age figured on January 1. Divisions are Junior (9 to 10), Intermediate (11 to 13) and Senior (14 to 19), plus a Novice division for anyone who has never shown in an organized show. FFA members stay eligible until December 31 after high school graduation. Youth Quality Assurance (YQCA) training is required every year and the certificate goes in with the entry. Independent exhibitors must not belong to an organization on weigh-in day, must sign the Show Ring Code of Ethics and must bring a project record book.
Ownership and Tagging
- Beef: owned by December 1 of the year before the show.
- Dairy cattle, dairy goats, market goats, sheep and swine: owned by March 1 of the show year.
- Turkey: March 1. Rabbit: April 10.
- Market animals are ear tagged in the two weeks before the ownership date, and all market males must be castrated by then (meat rabbits and turkeys excepted).
- Breeding animal leases must show the exhibitor is solely responsible for care, and joint ownership of breeding animals is not allowed.
Those are the 2022 rules, so check the current book for new dates.
Entries, Fees and Deadlines
In 2022, entries were due by April 1, postmarked or online, and nothing was accepted after April 10. A $25 late fee applied to each late or changed entry. Ear tags cost $20 each and cover that animal's class entry fees, breeding and feeder classes were $10 per class, and turkeys and rabbits were $20 per entry. Showmanship had no fee. Each exhibitor could weigh in up to four large and four small market animals, with a limit of two per species.
Weights
- Beef: 1,000 lb minimum, 1,350 lb maximum
- Market goat: 70 lb minimum, 120 lb maximum
- Sheep: 105 lb minimum, 150 lb maximum
- Swine: 210 lb minimum, 285 lb maximum
- Rabbit: 3 lb minimum, 5 lb maximum
Animals under the minimum or over the maximum cannot compete in market classes or sell, though they may show in showmanship or move to feeder or breeding classes. Market beef must be slick shorn to a quarter inch or less, and lamb fleece cannot exceed a quarter inch.
Health and Drug Rules
A veterinarian inspects every animal at the gate. Out-of-state animals need a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within 30 days of the show. Animals must meet all label withdrawal periods, a written veterinary prescription is required before giving products at the show, and residue testing may be done. Any violation of the drug and chemical rules means forfeiting all participation in the show. Injecting foreign substances, numbing tails and attaching false hair are banned fitting practices.
Show Day and the Sale
Only market animals sell. Blue and red ribbon animals must sell and white ribbon animals do not. Each exhibitor may sell one large and one small market animal. In 2022 the commission was 7 percent on goats, rabbits, sheep, swine and turkeys and 6 percent on beef, with a small extra amount going to the Carcass of Merit fund. Buyers' invoices were due 30 days after the sale, and the youth is not paid until the buyer's payment clears. Live release needs a form from the show office, and sale animals not paid for go to harvest.
Practical Tips
- Enroll in 4-H or FFA first and ask for the ownership and tagging dates before buying an animal.
- Finish your YQCA training early so the certificate is ready for the entry.
- Keep health certificates and brand papers handy if your animal crosses a brand district line.
- Put the entry deadline on the calendar when the rule book comes out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Nevada Junior Livestock Show?
At the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center, and in 2026 as part of the State Fair of Nevada at the Nevada State Fairgrounds in Reno.
How old do I need to be to show?
At least 9 as of January 1 under the 2022 Nevada Junior Livestock Show rules.
Who can I call about 4-H shows?
The Nevada State 4-H Office at 775-784-4779, or your county Extension office.
Can I sell every animal I bring?
No. At the Nevada show each exhibitor sells one large and one small market animal.
Nevada Listings Covered by This Guide
- Clark County Fair and Rodeo
Five-day Moapa Valley fair with professional rodeo, junior livestock show and auction, 4-H and FFA exhibits, a fine arts building and carnival. Held each year; the most recent dates were April 8-12, 2026.
- State Fair of Nevada
The official Nevada State Fair returned to the Reno fairgrounds in June 2026 with the Junior Livestock Show, the 4-H State Expo, the Governor's Sale of Champions, a farmers market pavilion and junior bull riding. Held each year; the most recent dates were June 11-13, 2026.
- Nevada Agricultural Fair
Free four-day fair at the Douglas County Fairgrounds with farming science, homesteading and horticulture exhibits, vendors and nightly demolition derby. Held each year; the most recent dates were July 16-19, 2026.
920 Pinenut Rd., Gardnerville, NV 89410 | Organizer: Nevada Agricultural Fair Official event details - Eureka County Fair
Six-day fair with exhibit hall, 4-H livestock show and sale, gymkhana, team branding, roughstock, goat roping and a Saturday night rodeo. Held each year; the most recent dates were August 4-9, 2026.
- Eureka County Fair Youth Team Branding
Youth team branding contest in the small and large arenas on the Friday of fair week, with a separate open team branding on Saturday. Held each year; the most recent date was August 7, 2026.
Eureka, NV | Organizer: Eureka County Fair Board Official event details - Eureka County Fair Gymkhana
Horse gymkhana with stick horse barrels at noon for the youngest riders, then timed events through the afternoon of the Friday of fair week. Held each year; the most recent date was August 7, 2026.
Eureka, NV | Organizer: Eureka County Fair Board Official event details - Eureka County Fair Rodeo
Saturday-night rodeo of fair week with broncs, mini bulls, bulls, steer stopping and chute dogging, followed by a dance. Held each year; the most recent date was August 8, 2026.
Eureka, NV | Organizer: Eureka County Fair Board Official event details - Tri-County Fair and Stampede
Labor Day fair with rodeo, barrel racing, truck and tractor pulling, an antique engine show and the Tri-County junior livestock sale. Held each year; the most recent dates were September 3-6, 2026.
Winnemucca, NV Official event details - Carson City Fair
Nonprofit behind the Carson City Fair, a county fair with a youth livestock program, formed in 2020.
Carson City, NV - Eureka County Fair Board
Volunteer board that runs the Eureka County Fair, handling exhibit entries, rodeo, branding and gymkhana schedules each August.
P.O. Box 533, Eureka, NV 89316 | 775.934.4750
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.