Douglas County 4-H Youth Grow, Thrive, and Become Beyond Ready Through the County Fair Experience
Nickie Harding, 4-H Youth Development Agent
Each summer, the Douglas County Fair brings together families, volunteers, businesses, and community members to celebrate the accomplishments of local youth. For Douglas County 4-H members, the fair is much more than rides, food, and entertainment, although those favorite traditions certainly add to the excitement. The fair represents the culmination of months of learning, leadership, dedication, and personal growth. Through 4-H and the county fair experience, youth develop the confidence and life skills needed to thrive today and become “Beyond Ready” for college, careers, and future opportunities.
The 2026 Douglas County Fair will take place July 27 through August 1 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Lawrence, with several 4-H events occurring in the two weeks leading up to the fair. During this time, 4-H members will participate in livestock shows, exhibit judging, fashion revue, photography judging, horse shows, and other project events. For many 4-H’ers, the fair is an opportunity to proudly showcase the projects they have spent months preparing while sharing the results of their hard work, creativity, and determination with the community.
While fair week is often the highlight of the year, the learning happens long before exhibits are displayed or animals enter the show ring. Throughout the year, Douglas County 4-H members engage in hands-on learning experiences that help them build practical knowledge and valuable life skills. Youth can explore project areas including livestock, food and nutrition, photography, sewing and fiber arts, woodworking, visual arts, robotics, gardening, leadership, and public speaking. Through meetings, workshops, practices, community service, and project work completed at home, youth gain experiences that help them learn, grow, and thrive.
One of the greatest benefits of the county fair experience is the confidence and life skills youth gain through participation. Whether entering the show ring for the first time, participating in conference judging, or displaying a project they created independently, youth learn to step outside their comfort zones, communicate effectively, and take pride in their accomplishments. This experience also helps members build responsibility, resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills through both livestock and static exhibits. Through successes and setbacks, youth learn perseverance, adaptability, and the value of hard work. Qualities that help them grow, thrive, and become Beyond Ready for future opportunities.
The Douglas County Fair highlights the strong sense of community that makes 4-H so special. Douglas County 4-H is grateful for the families, volunteers, sponsors, local businesses, and community supporters who invest their time, encouragement, and generosity into local youth throughout the year. While ribbons and awards are exciting, the true value of the fair experience extends far beyond recognition, helping youth grow, thrive, and become Beyond Ready for the future. We invite the community to join us this summer at the 2026 Douglas County Fair and encourage everyone to check out the full schedule of events at the Douglas County Fair website to support and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of local youth.