Houston County Fair and Youth Livestock Show is Back!
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – It seems like forever ago when the Houston County Fair and Youth Livestock Show as well as with the Home and Garden Fair took place.
The last time the fair was held was in 2019. Last year’s event was wiped out by COVID-19 but as its stands two weeks before the start date, the 2021 Houston County Fair and Youth Livestock Show is still a go.
The weeklong event is set to begin on Monday, March 29 with set-up. All fair participants are required to attend, with a start time of 5 p.m.
On Tuesday, March 30, check in for the Home and Garden show begins at 4 p.m. and runs until 7 p.m. The check-in will be held at the Crockett Civic Center and includes quilts as well as non-baked goods.
The various check-ins for market hogs, lambs, goats, steers, replacement heifers, in-county heifers and breeding gilts will also be held on March 30, beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting until 8 p.m.
Aside from the Sale of Champions, one of the most anticipated events of the fair is the Pet Show, which will also be held on Tuesday, March 30. Registration for the show will be held between 5 and 5:30 p.m., while the show itself gets underway at 6 p.m.
On Wednesday, March 31, the check-in for shop projects starts the day off and entries are required to be on site prior to 9 a.m. Also, check-in for the home and garden show – fresh floral entries and baked goods – will be held between 8 and 9 a.m. at the Crockett Civic Center.
In addition, the check-in for Broilers will be held beginning at 8 a.m., with the show immediately afterward.
Also, on Wednesday, the shop project judging gets underway at 9 a.m. and the civic center will be closed from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. to allow for judging of the home and garden show entries.
The check in for rabbits begins at 10 a.m., with the sift to follow. The rabbit show will begin immediately afterward.
The civic center will open back up at 3:30 p.m. to allow for public viewing of the home and garden entries and award winners.
The day’s last events are the market lamb and market goat shows. The lamb show begins at 5:30 p.m., and will be followed by the market goat show. The Pee Wee Showmanship contest will be held upon completion of regular showmanship.
The Thursday, April 1 events begin at 10 a.m. with the replacement heifer show. The interview portion of the show will be held last.
The in-county heifer show gets underway at 2 p.m. and will be immediately followed by the steer show. Upon completion of regular showmanship, the Pee Wee Showmanship will begin.
Between 3 p.m. and 6p.m., the Civic Center will be open for home and garden entry viewing.
The breeding gilt show begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by the market hog show. This will be followed by the Pee Wee Showmanship, upon completion of the regular showmanship show and will bring the day to an end.
On Friday, April 2, home and garden entries – except Best of Show entries – will be available for pick up, beginning at 8 a.m. The set up for the Sale of Champions will begin at 1 p.m. The Buyers’ Appreciation Dinner will begin at 4 p.m. and the line-up for the Sale of Champions will get underway at 5:30 p.m., with the actual sale beginning at 6 p.m.
The final task of the 2021 Houston County Fair and Youth Livestock Show will be the clean-up. All fair participants – regardless of whether the participant made the Sale of Champions – are required to attend the clean-up which begins Saturday morning, April 3 at 9 a.m.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
