Cayuga County 4-H Kicks off Youth Fair Fundraising Drive

Youth prepare to show their project animals at the Dairy Show, 2024 Cayuga County 4-H Youth Fair.

PUBLISHED ON June 24, 2025, Morning Ag Clips

CAYUGA CO., N.Y. — Each summer, the Cayuga County 4-H Youth Fair & Market Livestock Auction gives local 4-H youth aged 5-to-19 an opportunity to share and showcase a wide range of projects they’ve worked on throughout the year. Over several days, youth show the dairy cattle, pigs, goats, sheep or poultry they have raised, or present results of projects in plant science, entomology, home economics, art, photography and other disciplines of interest. In addition to the knowledge and life skills they acquire through their work, all youth participants receive constructive feedback from expert volunteer judges and mentors, and are recognized for their efforts.

This large and multi-faceted event is coordinated by 4-H Program staff with extensive support from 4-H youth and their families, and other community volunteers. To offset the hard costs of presenting the fair, Cayuga County 4-H has set a campaign goal of $15,000 and invites local farms, businesses, groups and individuals to consider becoming a sponsor of the 2025 Cayuga County 4-H Youth Fair & 3rd Annual Market Livestock Auction, to be held July 30-August 2 at the Union Springs Fire Department.

Contributions of any amount will help support this annual event, however sponsors who give $100 or more by July 1st will be recognized prominently on printed signage in the Fair’s show tents and in fair materials, for supporting the future success of local 4-H youth in agriculture and other disciplines. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and directly support activities of local youth who participate in this year’s fair through 4-H clubs and educational programs.

The Cayuga County 4-H Youth Fair has drawn increasing interest from local youth, with approximately 50% more registered participants than last year as of this date. “We have 90 youth registered for this year’s Fair,” reports Sara Wagner, 4-H Program Leader at Cornell Cooperative Extension Cayuga County. “We expect to surpass last year’s attendance with 1,000 or more visitors since we’ve added an extra day and will be drawing families from Seneca County, making this a great time for sponsors to be recognized for their support by the fair-going public,” she concluded.

Prospective sponsors can complete a 2025 Fair Sponsorship Form at https://ccecayuga.org/2025-Fair-Sponsor-Form , visit https://bit.ly/Donate4HFair to make a gift via Paypal or a credit/debit card, or send a check payable to Cayuga County 4-H to: CCE Cayuga County, 248 Grant Avenue, Auburn, New York 13021. Corporate sponsors who wish to feature their business more prominently at the Fair may contact Sara Wagner at smw352@cornell.edu or (315) 255-1183 ext. 102 for details about sponsoring a tent or specific event and she will work with them to develop this gift opportunity and appropriate recognition of their support.

For information on specific contests and events scheduled for the 2025 Cayuga County 4-H Youth Fair & Livestock Market Auction, visit https://ccecayuga.org/4-h-youth/4-h-fair. To learn more about 4-H in Cayuga County and how your family can be involved, visit: https://ccecayuga.org/4-h-youth or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556788060772.

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About 4-H

4-H is a worldwide youth development program available in every state and over eighty countries. It is open to all youth aged 5-to-19, who want to have fun, learn new skills, and explore the world. In return, youth who participate in 4-H find a supportive environment and opportunities for hands-on or “experiential” learning about things that interest them. They also get what all young people need to succeed in life–the confidence, compassion and connections with caring adults to make contributions to their communities. Learn about national 4-H at https://www.nys4hfoundation.org/.

—Cornell Cooperative Extension