Persistence marks 4-H participants for this year’s Lee County fair and show

AMBOY — Persistence.

The youth in Lee County’s 4-H programs have got that attribute nailed down.

Once the Lee County 4-H Fair & Junior Show opens to the public on Thursday, attendees can see for themselves how aptly that word applies if you take into consideration the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The clubs hung in there,” said Kathleen Book, the University of Illinois Extension youth program coordinator for Carroll, Lee and Whiteside counties. Some clubs had to skip a few meetings altogether. Others met by video conferencing platforms such as Zoom. A late spring shortened the growing season for those with gardening projects.

Yet, they pulled through.

“They stayed together,” she said. “They made the best of it.”

More than 200 members of Lee County’s eight 4-H clubs produced more than 1,200 entries in close to 75 different categories. There are submissions on animal science and aerospace. The special interest groups — better known as SPIN — also completed their projects. They met six to eight times each, submitting projects focused on vegetable gardens and making things out of household items, such as robotic claws and solar-powered vehicles.

“Everybody is so excited to come together in person for the fair this year,” Book said.

Review of their work — including oral presentations — starts Tuesday in a range of disciplines: photography, woodworking and mechanical sciences, just to name a few. On Thursday, the horticulture and livestock submissions will be under the keen scrutinizing gaze of the judges.

State fair and best of show winners will be awarded at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the auditorium.

For seven 4-H members, it will be their last time to share their experience. They are aging out of the program. Seeing them mature and become more accomplished is Book’s favorite part of the show.

“They’ve really become leaders and role models for the younger kids and made the best out of their 4-H career,” Book said.

Of course, involvement in 4-H never stops. Book, herself a 4-H alumni out of La Salle County, says 90 percent of the fair’s volunteer staff are graduated 4-Hers.

At the front gate, a four-day pass for the 4-H show is $15. Daily admission is $5. On Sunday, it will be $2. Those under age 12 get in free.

The fair and show are separate entities run as a single event. In addition to the 4-H projects, the fair organizers coordinate the rate of gain and premier livestock classes, as well as, the state fair delegates and alternates. The show portion, managed by the Lee County Fair Association, provides for the junior show project judging, including selection of grand champions, and schedules the commercial exhibitors and provides for the grandstand shows and entertainment.

Katie Pratt, secretary for the association, said a change from previous shows will be the Midway. The carnival company was unable to commit to an Illinois tour because of the pandemic. Instead Extreme Rentals will provide an assortment of bounce venues, including a water slide, obstacle course foam pits and games.

The grandstand will feature returning favorites.

The Rock County Pullers will provide garden tractor pulling and a tractor-truck pull on Thursday. The Illini State Pullers will have a lineup of super stock trucks, diesel trucks and super stock tractors on Friday. “Big tractors, big engines and all the smoke,” Pratt said. The Broken Horn Rodeo out of Ripley, Ohio will have a show on Saturday.

Grandstand tickets are $6 on Thursday, $8 on Friday and $7 on Saturday. The grandstand has a capacity of about 1,000. A pit pass is available for $15 on Thursday and $20 on Friday.

Pratt said the Marketplace craft fair features the work of 26 vendors and artisans.

According to the guidebook, the fair will follow Illinois Department of Public Health and University of Illinois Extension COVID-19 guidelines for the fair and show judging. Face coverings are required for all youth, spectators, volunteers and staff. Social distancing will be observed.