After months of hard work and preparation, Kansas 4-H members from across the state, including Riley County, are set to showcase their projects on one of Kansas’ biggest stages: the Kansas State Fair. 

The fair, which begins Sept. 11 in Hutchinson, is the highest level of competition available through the Kansas 4-H program, with participants showcasing projects ranging from livestock to baking to photography.

Kansas 4-H, a youth development organization housed in K-State Research and Extension, serves more than 15,000 members across all 105 Kansas counties. Participants can create projects across a variety of subjects and have creative control over the production. To qualify for the State Fair, members generally must earn a purple ribbon at their county fair. 

Sarah Maass, Kansas 4-H youth development program leader, said qualifying for the fair is a significant accomplishment.

“It is the pinnacle of the showcasing exhibition for a 4-H program,” Maass said. “It’s an honor to be selected to have your exhibit qualified for the State Fair.”

Among those exhibiting at the fair is 16-year-old Delaney McDonald of Manhattan. McDonald is a Manhattan High School student who will exhibit two pigs and an angel food cake. She said qualifying for the fair meant a lot to her.

“I was just really excited,” McDonald said. “I started making plans of what I was gonna do.”

Daniel Skucius, interim Riley County 4-H agent, said approximately 100 static exhibits from Riley County will be displayed in Hutchinson this year, not including livestock entries.

The projects on display often represent months of preparation. While some participants spend days perfecting baked goods, others devote nearly a year to crafting their idea, refining skills or raising animals.

“A lot of these 4-H’ers have been working on it for a long time,” Skucius said. “Some started way back in October of last year.”

Visitors to the fair will encounter a wide range of exhibits, with food and nutrition, photography and visual arts expected to be among the largest, according to Maass. She said one exhibit she is particularly excited for is a geology display featuring a prehistoric aquatic animal’s fossilized head that a Kansas 4-H member discovered.

Beyond the projects themselves, organizers say 4-H helps participants build skills that extend into college and future careers. The connection between 4-H and K-State is a key part of that mission. As part of the university’s land-grant system, Kansas 4-H provides research-based educational opportunities and introduces youth to potential college and career paths through programs like Discovery Days, an annual event on K-State’s campus.

“4-H members are graduating and going on to college and beyond with better communication skills, more confidence in themselves, knowing that they have the ability to take pride in what they do,” Skucius said.