The Cayuga County and Seneca County 4-H programs will hold a three-day public event, the 2026 Youth Fair, from Thursday through Saturday in Union Springs, offering free admission and parking along with animal shows, youth exhibits, activities and contests.
The fair will be held at 257 Cayuga St., where visitors can view more than 175 projects created by 4-H members in photography, painting, sewing, crafts, baked goods, vegetables, flower arranging, jewelry, woodworking, entomology and other fields.
Hands-on activities will include making butter, friendship bracelets and wiggle-bots. Visitors will also be able to sample local cheeses, foods made from healthy recipes and root beer floats featuring Cornell Dairy Bar ice cream.
Thursday's schedule includes goat and sheep shows and a poultry show for birds that will not be auctioned. Friday will feature beef and swine showmanship, an oxen demonstration, dairy showmanship and an animal costume show decided by audience votes.
Local leaders are also expected to enter the show ring Friday with guidance from 4-H members. The day will conclude with the fourth annual Livestock Market Auction, where sheep, beef and swine animals, along with chickens, ducks and turkeys, will be sold.
The auction begins at 6 p.m. Friday. Members of the public who want to bid must register in person at the show tent between 4 and 5:30 p.m.
Saturday's schedule includes a dairy breed show, a rabbit and cavy show, a tractor safety competition and the presentation of awards to 4-H participants. The awards include a herdsman award recognizing how young participants presented and cared for their animals during the fair.
Food trucks will serve meals and refreshments during the event. Between Your Buns is scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, noon to 7:30 p.m. Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, while Moonies is scheduled from noon to 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Organizers said the annual fair gives young people opportunities to build leadership, organization, critical thinking, goal-setting, time-management, communication and self-confidence skills. Full show times and additional fair information are available through the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County website.
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