Door County 4-H Newsletter

Hello Door County 4-H Families and Volunteers!

It's hard to believe, but the Door County Fair is less than a week away! This newsletter has a lot of Fair related information, as well as information on upcoming events and activities for Door County 4-H. Please be sure to read through this newsletter so that you do not miss anything important!

Our office hours over the next week may vary as we have some staff out and I will be spending a lot of time at the Fairgrounds. If you need anything, the easiest way to reach me is to send an email to candis.dart@wisc.edu and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks,

Candis Dart

Door County 4-H Program Educator

candis.dart@wisc.edu

(920)746-2265

Door County 4-H Website

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.

Summer Extension Office Hours Reminder
4-H Enrollment Starts September 2nd
Scholarship & Key Award Presentation at Fair
4-H Dairy Bar
Door County 4-H Calendar Fundraiser
Tri-County 4-H Volunteer Summit
4-H Horse & Pony Calendar of Events
Fair Updates
- Premium Books
- Judging Schedule
- Fair Entry Tag and Fair Pass Pickup
- Removing Exhibits
- Premise ID Registration and Renewal
State 4-H Opportunities
- Military Family Back to School Day Camp
- State 4-H Horse Gymkhana and Expo Registration Now Open
- Arts Camp
- National 4-H Dairy Conference
- Fall Forum
- Youth as Partners in Civic Leadership
- Ignite by 4-H

12-16 - Door County Fair
16 - Scholarship and Key Award Presentation at Door County Fair
16 - Fair Project Pickup starts at 4:00 p.m.
28 - Friday Night Under the Lights Show, Door County 4-H Horse & Pony Project
30 - 4-H Calendar Photo Submissions due

2 - Enrollment for the 2026-2027 4-H Begins
12 - 39th WI 4-H Gymkhana Horse Show
18 - Friday Night Under the Lights Show, Door County 4-H Horse & Pony Project
18-20 - 61st WI State 4-H Horse Expo
26-27 - State 4-H Dog Obedience and Showmanship Show
26 or 27 - Door County 4-H Horse & Pony Project Spooktacular Show

Saturday, October 10 - Brown/Door/Kewaunee 4-H Volunteer Summit
Door County Fair 2027: August 11-15, 2027

Just a reminder that the Summer hours for the Door County Extension Office are Tuesday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The office will also be closed August 11 and 12 due to Fair preparations. Please email me at candis.dart@wisc.edu with any questions and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

In addition to the change in hours, there may be times that the office is closed due to staff schedules. I encourage you to call the Extension Office at (920)746-2260 or email me at candis.dart@wisc.edu before stopping by to ensure that someone is available.

Enrollment for the 2026-2027 4-H will begin on September 2nd. Be sure to watch after the Fair for information to come out on how to enroll. Plan to enroll early to make sure you do not miss out on anything!

Be sure to join us on Sunday, August 16th at the Door County Fair to present the Door County 4-H Scholarship and Key Award winners! The presentation will follow the Dairy Awards presentation in the Cattle Barn.

The 4-H Dairy Bar during the Fair is the biggest fundraiser for the Door County 4-H program and we could still use some help with some of the shifts for this year's food stand! All 4-H families are encouraged to help during at least one shift. Talk to your Club Leader about working during your Club's shift(s). If you are not available during your Club's shift(s), consider signing up to work during another shift. We could definitely still use help on Saturday evening.

The money raised from the 4-H Dairy Bar covers the costs of many Door County 4-H activities, scholarships, and trips. Contact your Club Leader or the Extension Office with any questions. Thank you to everyone who helps make this possible!

New this year - the Door County 4-H Adult Leaders Association presents the Door County 4-H Calendar Fundraiser! This calendar will feature photos taken by our very own Door County 4-H members. This year, the photos will be photos taken at the 2026 Door County Fair (including the Dog Show on August 1st).

Photo Submission/Register here: https://doorcountycalendar.4honline.com/

All entries are due August 30th, 2026.

Great things happen when we come together. Connect with fellow adult 4-H volunteers and leaders for a day of inspiration, skill-building, and collaboration at the Tri-County 4-H Volunteer Summit, hosted by Kewaunee, Door, and Brown Counties.

📅 Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
⏳ Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Check-in opens at 8:30 AM)
📍 Location: STEM Innovation Center, 2019 Technology Way, Green Bay, WI 54311
🥗 Food: Complimentary lunch and snacks provided

Learn More: go.wisc.edu/strongertogether

This summit is designed to empower volunteers with practical tools, fresh ideas, and valuable resources to enhance their leadership and strengthen local 4-H programs. Through engaging sessions and meaningful networking opportunities, participants will exchange successful strategies, build relationships with fellow mentors, and explore new ways to support and inspire youth.

Notify Me When Registration Opens: https://forms.gle/WjzGghajzEk5h7EN6

Together, we can cultivate stronger clubs, more impactful programs, and lasting connections across our tri-county region.

Door County Fair Dog Show:

Congratulations to all of the Door County 4-H Members who participated in last weekend's Door County Fair Dog Show! You all did an amazing job!

Here are our winners:

Obedience:

Best of Show: Charlie Dart

Reserve Best of Show: Henry Moyer

Rally Obedience:

Best of Show: Lily Moreaux

Reserve Best of Show: Charlie Dart

Showmanship:

Best of Show: Lucas Rouer

Reserve Best of Show: Brandt Moyer

State 4-H Dog Show Practices:

Dog Project practices will be paused for the next few weeks while the Fair is going on. Watch for an email to let you know when practices will resume.

The 2026 Door County Fair is Wednesday, August 12th - Sunday, August 16th.

Check your email! You should have received an email titled "Door County Fair Exhibitor Information 2026" from the Fair Secretary with a lot of important information to help you as you prepare for Fair. If you did not receive the email, all of the information can be found at these links:
Premium Books: The 2026 Door County Fair Premium Books is available online on the Door County Fair website: Door County Fair Premium List
- Be sure to check the Premium Book for updates/changes to your project department(s).
- Animal Health Rules were updated for this year. Be sure to check to ensure that you are following all of the requirements for your animal project(s).
Fair Entry Tag Pickup
- Pick up Fair Entry tags and passes prior to Fair during one of the Pre-Fair Office Days
  - Saturday 8/8, 9 am - Noon
  - Sunday 8/9, 9 am - Noon
  - Monday, 8/10, 8 am - 4 pm
  - Tuesday, 8/11, 8 am - 4 pm
  - All tags must be picked up prior to Entry Day (before Wednesday 8/12)
  - If you cannot attend one of these days, please contact the Fair Secretary at secretary@doorcountyfair.com to arrange an alternate pickup time.
Volunteers Needed!
- We could still use volunteers to help with Entry Day in the Junior Fair Building, volunteers for Project Check-out on Sunday, and other volunteers throughout the Fair. If you are interested, please let Candis know, or contact the Fair Secretary.
Judging:
- For Non-Animal Projects (cultural arts, foods, photography, etc.), judging takes a fw minutes per item per exhibitor. At times, there may be a wait for judging. We ask that you come prepared to be patient! We have hired additional judges and put additional measures into place to make the day as seamless as possible. However, we have more than 2,000 entries to be judged and that takes time!
- A few tips for judging:
  - Youth will sit with the judge for their project type. The judge will ask some questions - typically something like "Tell me about your project." or "What was the hardest part of this project?" They may also ask about techniques used and why youth choose this project.
  - Adults - if at all possible, please avoid coming up to the judging table with your youth. The goal is for this to be as youth focused as possible. We also want to avoid additional conversations with the judges - this takes up time and delays the judge from judging other youth.
  - If you have any questions on judging day, please do not hesitate to ask! I will be in the Junior Fair building most of the day on Wednesday and there are others available to help as well.
Removing Exhibits:
- All exhibits must remain on display until: 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 16th. NO EXCEPTIONS. Early removal of exhibits will result in the forfeiture of fair premiums. Exhibit buildings will close at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
- Exhibitors are responsible for removing their exhibits on Sunday between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. If you cannot be there to remove your exhibits, please ask a friend or another family member to do it for you.
- Exhibits remaining will be left in the building and can be picked up on Monday morning, from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. After that time, exhibits will be brought to the Extension Office in the Door County Government Center (421 Nebraska Street, Sturgeon Bay). They can be picked up during office hours. Leftover exhibits will be kept for a short time and then disposed of.
IMPORTANT: Premise ID Registration and Renewal: If you are planning to exhibit animals at the Fair, be sure that you have a Premise ID. This is REQUIRED for all exhibitors of beef, dairy, sheep, swine, horse, poultry and goats.
- A Premise ID is completely free to obtain and is mandatory for all owners of livestock in Wisconsin.
- Premises registration allows for much faster traces when there is an outbreak of an animal disease or an animal-borne human disease.
- Take care of this important step now so you are ready at Fair time! If you already have a Premise ID, check to make sure that it does not need to be renewed this year.
- Visit Premise ID Registration to obtain a Premise ID and for answers to additional questions.

Check out the Wisconsin 4-H website for a full list of Wisconsin 4-H Statewide Experiences and Events

You can find more information about each of the specific experiences below by clicking on the picture for the experience.

As you look through and consider these experiences, please know that there are funds that may be available through the Door County 4-H Adult Leaders Association to help support these opportunities. Talk to your Club Leader or Candis for more information!