Exhibitors Information

Things you will want to know about our fair and resources

FSA Youth Loans

Do you know any youth that would love to have a 4H, FFA or even just a market animal at the fair but need money to buy the animal? Did you know that the FSA offers loans to kids for that? They do, you can get up to $5,000 and have from 1 to 7 years to pay it back. Click here for more information.

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Only One Market Animal

In 2024, we do have a change that may impact some of our exhibitors. We want to support everyone but the reality is these are not the greatest of economic times and we have seen fewer buyers at the sale. The combination of a weak economy and fewer buyers has resulted in some animals going through the ring and get just the basic butchers price. There is just too many animals (supply) for the number of buyers (demand) at our sale.

To help ensure that everyone gets a good price for their hard work, we have decided to limit the number of market animals to 1 per exhibitor or 1 pen of three for rabbits, etc. to be a part of our Youth Livestock Sale on the Saturday of the fair.

You can opt to raise and demonstrate your showmanship with as many types of animals as you want, but to finish out your project and sell it; you will need to find buyers on your own for those other animals or have a plan to take the animal(s) to other markets where you will have more buyers and a better opportunity to get the money you deserve from your animal.

As always, it is important that every exhibitor who brings a market animal to the fair reaches out to buyers and bring more interest into our Livestock Sale. Think beyond just the normal people that you see at the sale and market why people should look at supporting your work through purchasing your animal for their own consumption. When the number of buyers increases, then we can go back to supporting more market animals going through the Livestock Sale at the fair.

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Do I Have To Be In 4H?

When you think about showing at a fair, you often recall seeing the green clover at most of the pens; but do you have to be in 4H to show? How about the FFA? What do I have to have my child do to show at the fair?

The reality is that the Clayton Community Fair is an open class fair, which means anyone who has done the work, signs up in advance and pays any fees required for their project to enter can be a part of our fair. It doesn’t matter if you want to make grandma’s world famous chocolate chip cookies, set a table, sew an outfit or a blanket, snap a photo, ride a horse or raise an animal to show – as long as your child does the work and sign up to show before the deadline – we are very happy to highlight their skills.

For some families, you would like some guidance along the way, maybe you have never sewn a thing or never raised an animal. Where you start is up to you, some of the traditional approaches is to join 4H or in our area we have thriving Grange organizations that can help you learn the skills for your project. If you are wanting to learn to cook or bake, look for online classes or local classes through the library. If you want to show an animal, look online for resources – those may be via 4H, the FFA, the local grange or search to see if you can find a mentor.

Don’t forget, we also have adult classes in the fair. Make fair projects a family affair and show off everyone’s skills. You never know what feedback you get will elevate how you grow, make, cook or raise and show animals.