Western 4-H Family and Consumer Science Show

The 57th Annual Western 4-H Family and Consumer Science Show will be held October 11 and 12 at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City. While this is called a show, it consists of various contests for developing life skills that 4-Hers, youth, and adults may participate in.

The contests begin on Friday, October 11 at 9 a.m. with bread baking and other contests run from Noon to 6 p.m. that day. A Rapid City Ag Chamber “Burger Bust” is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. Some contests will continue from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 12. More information may be found by emailing [email protected] or on Facebook under the show name. A complete show catalog is also available there. The Western Junior Livestock Show, which is also at the Fairgrounds, runs from Wednesday to Saturday, Oct. 9 - 12.

New participants and youth group members are encouraged to come and you do not need to pre-register. Contestants may come from outside the state of South Dakota and may enter as many contests as they wish but in only one age category. Board members and volunteers are available to assist you if you are a newcomer to the show. The contests are bread baking, meat identification, family life photo, scrapbook pages, home living, place setting, fashion revue both sewn and purchased, public presentation, ingredient measuring, Family and Consumer Sciences judging, Produce ID and judging, and a Family and Consumer Sciences Skill-a Thon. The public may view the exhibits after the contests.The Saturday contests are followed by an honoree tea, public fashion show and awards presentation at 3 p.m. in the Walter Taylor Building on the edge of the Fairgrounds.

This year the Board of Directors of the Western 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Show is pleased to recognize as their honorees, the past, present and future Central States Fairgrounds Board of Directors. The Central States Fair, Inc. is a non-profit member driven organization which manages the Pennington County Fairgrounds and produces the Central States Fair and the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo. This non-profit supports many community organizations including the Western Junior Livestock Show and Western 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Show each year. We proudly salute those visionaries from the past, the present board and those who will follow to support our event and the youth from many states who participate.

We invite all past and present Central State Fairground board members to join us at our honoree tea at 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 12 in the Walter Taylor Building,

The Western Junior Home Economics Show which is now referred to as the Western 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Show was started in 1962 as a companion show to the Western Junior Livestock Show which was 25 years old at the time. The first contests were a Dairy Food Demonstration and Dress Revue. It has grown with the help of 4-Hers, parents, Extension personnel and volunteers to be a two day show participated in by youth and adults from many states. Likewise many people have been donors who have helped provide funding for the annual show.

Submitted by Chris Maupin