The 2024 Barton County Fair officially kicks off on Wednesday, June 26, but there were two pre-fair events over the weekend to get things started.
Saturday morning, the 4-H clothing, fiber arts and fashion judging took place at Trinity Lutheran Church. The 4-H dog show and agility competition was in the afternoon at Expo III.
At the church, 8-year-old Liesl Turner from Busy Buzzers 4-H Club showed a judge her first cross-stitch project.
“What can you tell me about your cross-stitch?” Michelle Hennes from Salina asked.
“It took me three months to do it,” Liesl said. As they discussed her entry, the girl explained what she’d learned and Hennes provided a few pro tips for future projects.
“I think you did a really good job,” she said. The project was awarded a blue ribbon.
This is her first year in 4-H. She also plans to enter a Black Copper Maran chicken. Her mom explained that the family named the chicken “Meringue” because they initially misunderstood the word “maran.”
In another room, 14-year-old Adessa Prosser from the Cow Creek 4-H Club was modeling a fashion ensemble she put together for her eighth-grade graduation. She described the reason for her choices, from her earrings to the shoes, while answering questions about the fabric and cleaning instructions for her sequined, burgundy dress that complemented her hair color. She showed she was a savvy online shopper who checked reviews before purchasing the dress; thanks to paying attention to measurements, the dress was a good fit. She plans to wear this dress again at the Hoisington High School Winter Ball this year.
Michelle Beran, the 4-H Youth Development agent in the Cottonwood Extension District, said the public can watch the 4-H Fashion Review on the Free Stage in Expo II starting at 6 p.m. this Saturday, June 29. It will be followed by other 4-H presentations at 6:30.
Over at the fairgrounds on Saturday, people were busy mopping the floors at Expo II in advance of setting up the exhibits. Check-in of all exhibits starts at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
The 4-H dog show, which included tests of agility and obedience, had participants taking their pets through hoops and over ramps. There was a variety of breeds and entries of all ages. Among them, George Debes, 8, from the Cow Creek club, entered his Beagle named Snoopy, while Shelby Coulson, 7, from Busy Buzzers, showed her Corgi, Anola. Kylie McCormick, 18, also from Busy Buzzers, had a slightly more complicated course for her Sheepadoodle, Bleu.
