“Harvesting Possibilities” Exhibits at the Washington County Fair
2026 Washington County 4-H Exhibit Requirements and Guidelines for Washington County Fair
Washington County Fair Registration Form
All Washington County youth between the ages of 5 and 18 are welcome!
Washington County Fair: August 29 & 30, 2026, Pembroke Fair Grounds
- Drop-off: Friday, August 28, 2026 9:00 a.m. to Noon at fairgrounds or dropped off at the UMaine Cooperative Extension in Machias by 4:00 p.m., Thursday, August 27
- Pick- Up: Sunday, August 30, 2026 from 2-3:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds
Exhibits must include a completed exhibit card attached with the exhibit (cards are available from the Washington County Cooperative Extension Office). Exhibits must remain until pick up on Sunday, August 30th at 2:00 p.m.
“Harvesting Possibilities” Exhibit Entry Guidelines
- Entries in the “Harvesting Possibilities” Exhibit are open to enrolled Washington County 4-H members. 4-H youth must be re-enrolled by December 31st of each subsequent year to participate in future exhibits with the Washington County Fair. Not a current member? You can enroll in 4-H when you register your exhibit!
- Pre-register with the Extension office with intent to submit entry into the 4-H exhibit by completing the online registration form or by contacting the office at 207.255.3345 or emailing extension.washington@maine.edu by Friday, August 21, 2026.
- Exhibits must be produced and/or prepared by the 4-H member during the current October 2025 – September 2026 4-H year. Clubs may work together on projects, but individual members are responsible for producing their own entry for the 4-H Individual Exhibits.
- Each 4-H youth can enter a maximum of five entries.
- Maine 4-H uses the Danish System of non-competitive judging. All entries are judged based on how well it displays the appropriate skills for member age and skill level, except for Cloverbuds (see guideline 6). Entries are not judged against each other. A judge’s decision is final.
- University of Maine 4-H Cloverbud Policy states exhibitors ages 5-8 will receive an honorarium and a Cloverbud Ribbon. Cloverbuds are considered beginner level and all Cloverbud entries are submitted for non-competitive display only.
- There will be one “Best of Show” Ribbon awarded for each “Harvesting Possibilities” 4-H Exhibit category.
- UMaine Cooperative Extension/4-H and the Washington County Fair distinctly disclaim any liability for loss or damage to exhibits. We will afford the best protection possible for exhibits, but please be aware that there is no security at the 4-H Exhibit.
Animals (Animals Judging Sheet)
Projects include Beef, Dairy, Dog, Goat, Horse, Poultry, Sheep, Small Animal, Swine, Working Steer. An animal exhibit must consist of one of the following:
- A hardcover or spiral-bound scrapbook illustrating your year’s project work OR
- An educational display showing something you learned in the project OR
- A product made of your animal such as a feeder, tack box, halter, lead line, scratching post, etc. OR
- A product from your animal such as fleece, yarn, cheese, ½ dozen eggs, etc.
Civic Engagement/Community Service (Civic Engagement/Community Service Judging Sheet)
Any labeled poster, model, or display that illustrates a project or experience in civic engagement and/or community service OR the importance of civic engagement and/or community service (such as importance of voting, roadside clean ups, etc).
Club Exhibit (Club Exhibit Judging Sheet )
The purpose of this 4-H Club Exhibit is to tell the public about your club purpose, projects, interests, and/or activities. The exhibit should incorporate the fair theme “Sow Your Sparks”. The criteria for judging the 4-H Club Exhibits are:
Theme: Exhibit reflects the 4-H theme of the Washington County Fair.
Appearance: Exhibit is neat, well-organized, easy to understand, easy to see at a distance.
Originality: Exhibit shows creativity and originality.
Spelling/Grammar: Exhibit displays correct spelling, grammar, etc.
Branding: Exhibit displays correct use of the 4-H Clover logo, the UMaine Extension/4-H combined logo, 4-H (including the “-” between 4 and H), mottos, etc, if they are used in the display. Consult the Extension Office for Branding Guidelines.
Club Work: Exhibit highlights the club’s purpose, projects, interests, and/or activities and it also helps the public to understand the goals and philosophy of 4-H and your specific club.
Participation: Exhibit shows evidence of 4-H member involvement in the club.
Conservation/Natural Resources (Conservation/Natural Resources Judging Sheet)
Any labeled poster, model, or display that illustrates the practice of conserving a resource (such as recycling project, logging, water quality, etc). Must include an explanation of the conservation practice and/or ecological issue.
Crafts (Crafts Judging Sheet)
- Textiles (such as Knit, Crochet, Embroidery, Macrame, Rug, Quilt, Weaving, Spinning, Felting, String Art, Fabric Painting, etc)
- Canvas (such as Papermaking, Paper Mache, Origami, Scrapbooking, Bookbinding, Decoupage, Cardmaking, etc)
- Wood, Metal, Glass, Stone (such as Woodcarving, Woodturning, Woodburning, Metalwork, Stained glass, Glassblowing, Pebble art, etc)
- Ceramics (such as Pottery, Sculpture, etc)
- Recycled Art (An item made from discarded materials that once had another purpose and would have otherwise been thrown away)
- Leathercraft
- Jewelry
- Other (such as Basketmaking, Candlemaking, Egg Decorating, Soapmaking, etc)
Engineering
A constructed or created item demonstrating/illustrating the application of science in the design, planning, construction or creation of the item. Labeling must include information on the process, the lessons learned by the youth, the outcome or success of the project, and why such a project is important to the community. The project item be from any branch of engineering such as:
- Civil – project showing design, construction or maintenance of a man-made or natural build construction
- i.e.: roads, bridges, man-made dams, beaver dams, dikes, buildings, transportation, surveying and water resources
- Electrical – project showing electrical, electronics, electromagnetism, power, etc.
- Mechanical – project showing principals of physics and materials science including design and drafting, e.g. roller coaster
- Chemical – project showing physical science with math to create new substance
- Or another specialized discipline showing application of science
Food Preservation (Food Preservation Judging Sheet )
Canned: 1-3 jars of either vegetable, fruit, jam, jelly, pickles, or conserves.
Dried: 1-3 samples of dried fruit, vegetable, or meat (can be smoked).
Garden (Garden Judging Sheet )
Flowers: Vase of cut flowers, corsage or in foam from flower garden.
Herbs: Five stems of a single or multiple herbs arranged in a container. Include the name(s) of the variety/type of herb for the display.
Indoor Gardening: A display of indoor plants such as a potted houseplant, dish garden or terrarium, dried flower arrangement, indoor vegetable/herb garden, etc.
Vegetables: Vegetables should be brushed clean (do not wash), trimmed, and fresh. Display vegetables on a plate and include the name of the variety/type for the display.
- Vegetables grown in heads (1 specimen): cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.
- Small vine crops (10 specimens): beans, peas, etc.
- Large vine crops (1 specimen): cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, gourds, etc.
- Root crops (3 specimens): potatoes, carrots, beets, onion, turnips, etc.
- Other (1-3 specimens): corn, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes (may be green), etc.
- Family Garden collection of 3 or more vegetables in a basket or special container.
Leadership (Leadership Judging Sheet )
Any labeled poster, model, or display that illustrates a project or experience in Leadership (such as National 4-H Trip, National 4-H Summit, Leadership in your Clubwork, Leadership at Eastern States Exposition, etc). Must include an explanation of the leadership activity, member’s role, and the results of the experience.
LEGO (new for 2026) (LEGO Judging Sheet)
You must specify if the model is an original creation or built from a commercial kit. The use of the word “lego” is only a guide, other brands may be used.
- Must be mounted on a sturdy, rigid base
- Maximum size is 2ftx2ft
- No glueing of pieces
Robotics (new in 2026) (Robotics Judging Sheet)
Display of a functioning robot, either programmable or remote controlled. The robot can be created by an individual or a group. This includes junk drawer robotics, platform robotics and robotics teams.
- Maximum size of 2ft x 2ft
- A logbook or poster that details your building milestones, challenges, programming code, and problem-solving process.
- On the 4-H Exhibition Card, indicate your division:
- Beginner: Exploring basic robot structure, power sources, simple machines, and introductory coding.
- Intermediate: Utilizing sensors (touch, light, ultrasonic) to make the robot interact with its environment.
- Advanced: Advanced programming techniques, custom functions, subroutines, and variables for precise movements.
- Youth may include labels, a video of its functioning, or other supplemental materials to showcase the engineering process or functioning.
Rocketry (new in 2026) (Rocketry Judging Sheet)
A model rocket may be used for display. Rockets should be able to stand freely on a stable base, which may not exceed 12x12inches. Any creative ways of presenting to the public such things as:
- Rocket design
- Operation
- Safety considerations
- Ignition or fuel systems
Fair Ribbons and Premiums
Ribbons: In Maine 4-H, ribbons traditionally awarded by the Danish system are:
- Blue: for excellence, exceeding the standards
- Red: for good work that meets the expected standard
- White: for work that falls below the expected standard
- Green: Cloverbuds (ages 5-8)
Premiums:
- Blue Ribbon: $6
- Red Ribbon: $5
- White Ribbon: $4
- Cloverbuds: $3 honorarium