95th Annual Rains County Fair

The 95th Annual Rains County Fair is just around the corner! The fair begins on Tuesday, September 9th and runs through Saturday, September 13th. If you are planning to attend or get involved with the fair, here are a few places to start! Additional details are available at https://rains.agrilife.org/county-fair/.

Creative Arts. The Rains County Fair Creative Arts contests are open to residents, young and old, from Rains and surrounding counties. If you have not entered before, give it a try; we love new exhibitors! Rains County Fair Creative Arts Divisions include Antiques, Canned Foods, Collections, Fine Arts, Handcrafts, Horticulture, Needlework, Photography, and Quilting. Special age groups, senior and youth age categories, are judged in special age divisions.

Rains County Fair Creative Arts entries will be accepted next week! Make sure you mark your calendars; you do not want to miss out! Entries will be accepted on Tuesday, September 2nd, and Wednesday, September 3rd, between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the Creative Arts Building at the fairgrounds (with Horticulture entries only accepted on Wednesday). Creative Arts Judging is closed to the public. Entries will be on display in the Creative Arts Exhibit building and will be open to the public starting with the fair on Tuesday, September 9th at 6:00 p.m. All grand and reserve Creative Arts entries win a cash prize!

Baked Goods. If baking is more in line with your areas of interest, you do not want to miss entering the Youth or Adult Baked Goods contest. Entries for the Youth Baked Goods contest will be accepted on Tuesday, September 9th in the Creative Arts building between 6:00-6:30 p.m. and judging will begin at 7:00 p.m. Entries for the Adult Baked Goods contest will be accepted on Saturday, September 13th in the Creative Arts building between 6:00-6:30 p.m. and judging will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Miss Rains County Pageants. The 2025 Jr. Miss and Miss Rains County pageants will be held on Wednesday, September 10th at 8:00 p.m. Tiny, Wee, Petite, and Little Miss Rains County pageants will be held on Thursday, September 11th at 6:00 p.m. If you have not attended one of our pageants in the past, you should check them out this year, you will not be disappointed! We have a wonderful group of young ladies ready to wow you! Follow Rains County Fair Pageants on Facebook for up-to-date information.

Mutton Bustin’. For youth ages 4-7 years of age, the annual Mutton Bustin’ contest will be held Friday, September 12th at 7:00 p.m. If you are too old to participate, you can still enjoy the fun, make your way to the fair on Friday evening and check out this fan-favorite! Arrive early if you would like to get a seat in the stands.

Parade. Get your parade floats ready! We welcome entries from organizations, individuals, businesses, or anyone else wanting to join the fun. The Rains County Fair Parade will be held on Saturday, September 13th in Downtown Emory. The parade line-up will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Emory City Centre and the parade will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Chili Cook-Off. Looking for something with a little more spice? The Annual Rains County Fair Chili Cook-Off will be held on Saturday, September 13th. Entries are due Friday, September 12th. Cash prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Youth Floral Design. The Rains County Fair Youth Floral Design Contest will be held on Saturday, September 13th. The Grand and Reserve winning entries will be sold in the live auction and all other entries will be available for purchase via silent auction.

Livestock. Youth livestock shows are a county fair staple. Rains County youth may show animals in the following categories: Breeding Beef Heifers, Market Steers, Market Goats, Market Lambs, or Market Pigs. Come out and support our local youth as they show off their dedication and hard work. The steer, lamb, goat, and breeding beef shows will be held on Thursday, September 11th beginning at 9:00 a.m. The pig show will be held on Friday, September 12th at 8:00 a.m. Market animals will be auctioned off during the Junior Livestock Sale on Saturday, September 13th beginning at 6:30 p.m.

If you are interested in becoming a livestock buyer, please call (903) 473-4580 or visit https://rains.agrilife.org/buyer/ to register online (online registration will close at noon on September 12th). You may also register in-person before the sale on Saturday, September 13th between 6:00-6:30 p.m. in the livestock arena.

The Rains County Fair is a fun-filled week of activities offering something for everyone. Please visit our website for a complete schedule of activities, contest entry forms, and much, much more https://rains.agrilife.org/county-fair/. Be sure to follow Rains County Fair on Facebook for regular updates. We look forward to seeing you at the fairgrounds!

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.

Rains County Fair

There is just over a month left until we kick off the 93rd Annual Rains County Fair, held September 12-16, 2023. But do not worry, you still have time to get involved! 

Creative Arts. The Rains County Fair Creative Arts contests are open to residents, young and old, from Rains and surrounding counties. If you have not entered before, give it a try; we love new exhibitors! Rains County Fair Creative Arts Divisions include Antiques, Canned Foods, Collections, Fine Arts, Handcrafts, Horticulture, Needlework, Photography, and Quilting. Special age groups, senior and youth age categories, are judged in special age divisions. 

Rains County Fair Creative Arts entries will be accepted on Tuesday, September 5th, and Wednesday, September 6th, between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the Creative Arts Building at the fairgrounds (with Horticulture entries only accepted Wednesday). Creative Arts Judging is closed to the public. Entries will be on display in the Creative Arts Exhibit building and are open to the public starting with the fair on Tuesday, September 12th at 6:00 p.m. 

Baked Goods. If baking is more in line with your areas of interest, you do not want to miss entering the Youth or Adult Baked Goods contest. Entries for the Youth Baked Goods contest will be accepted on Tuesday, September 12th in the Creative Arts building between 6:00-6:30 p.m. and judging will begin at 7:00 p.m. Entries for the Adult Baked Goods contest will be accepted on Saturday, September 16th in the Creative Arts building between 6:00-6:30 p.m. and judging will begin at 7:00 p.m. 

Miss Rains County Pageants. The deadline to sign up to participate in the Tiny Miss (ages 3-4), Wee Miss (ages 5-6), Petite Miss (ages 7-9), Little Miss (ages 10-11), Jr. Miss (ages 12-14), and Miss Rains County (ages 15-19) pageants is Friday, August 4th. Jr. Miss and Miss Rains County pageants will be held on Wednesday, September 13th at 8:00 p.m. Tiny, Wee, Petite, and Little Miss Rains County pageants will be held on Thursday, September 14th at 6:00 p.m. Be sure to follow Rains County Fair Pageants on Facebook for up-to-date information!

Mutton Bustin’. For youth ages 4-7 years of age, the annual Mutton Bustin’ contest will be held Friday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m. If you are too old to participate, make sure you come out and watch this fan favorite! 

Parade. Get your parade floats ready! We welcome entries from organizations, individuals, businesses, or anyone else wanting to join the fun. The Rains County Fair Parade will be held on Saturday, September 16th in Downtown Emory. The parade line up will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Emory City Centre and will begin at 10:30 a.m. 

Chili Cook-Off. Looking for something with a little more spice? The Annual Rains County Fair Chili Cook-Off will be held on Saturday, September 16th; additional details will be available shortly. 

Youth Floral Design. New to the Rains County Fair is the Youth Floral Design Contest, held on Saturday, September 16th. Entries will be accepted at the Commercial Exhibits Building between 2:30-3:00 p.m. Open to youth grades 3rd – 12th. 

Livestock. Youth Livestock Shows are a county fair staple. Rains County youth may show animals in the following categories: Breeding Beef Heifers, Dairy Heifers, Market Steers, Market Goats, Market Lambs, or Market Swine. Come out and support these youth as they show off their dedication and hard work. The steer, lamb, goat, dairy, and breeding beef shows will be held on Thursday, September 14th beginning at 9:00 a.m. The pig show will be held on Friday, September 15th at 8:00 a.m. Market animals will be auctioned off during the Junior Livestock Sale on Saturday, September 16th beginning at 6:30 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a livestock buyer, please call (903) 473-4580 or visit https://rains.agrilife.org/buyer/ to register. 

The Rains County Fair is a fun-filled week of activities offering something for everyone. Information on other events, contests, and entertainment will be available shortly; please visit our website for a complete schedule of activities, contest entry forms, and much, much more https://rains.agrilife.org/county-fair/, and be sure to follow Rains County Fair on Facebook for regular updates! We look forward to seeing you at the fairgrounds!

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.

Fairs, Festivals, and Events Certified Judges’ Training

Are you interested in becoming a Certified Volunteer Judge for fairs, festivals, and other events? Do you want to learn what judges are taught, so that you can improve your own skills as you prepare your entries for your local fair? Are you a volunteer with your local fair? If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, then you should plan to attend an upcoming training by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. 

The Certified Volunteer Judges’ Training will be held in two sessions, Monday, May 9th and Tuesday, May 10th, and attendees may register for one day or both days. Monday, May 9th attendees will become certified volunteer judges in Horticulture, Woodworking, Food Preservation, and Baked Goods. Tuesday, May 10th attendees will become certified volunteer judges in Art, Photography, Quilting, and Fiber Arts. Registration for each day is $25.00, which covers materials, refreshments, and lunch.

Attendees will have the option to have their contact information included on a multicounty Judges List directory for use at fairs, festivals, local contests, etc. Additionally, attendees my purchase a Certified Volunteer Judge name tag for an additional $10.00. 

Creative Arts contests hold creativities at its finest. Learning the process involved in judging this wide variety of entries is a talent within itself. Don’t miss your opportunity to join unique group, register to attend today! 

Those interested may sign up for one day of training or join us for both days. Deadline for registration is May 2nd. Both training day will be held in Emory at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office, 410 Tawakoni Drive. You may pick up a registration form at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office or you may register online by visiting https://rains.agrilife.org/ffe_jt/. 

In case you missed my last article, Rains County Fair Creative Arts entries will be accepted on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, and Wednesday, September 7, 2022, between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the Creative Arts Building at the fairgrounds (with Horticulture entries only accepted Wednesday). Creative Arts Judging is closed to the public. The exhibit building will open with the fair on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. Entries for the Adult Baked Goods contest will be accepted on Saturday, September 17, 2022, in the Creative Arts building between 6:00-6:30 p.m. and judging will begin at 7:00 p.m. Entries for the Youth Baked Goods contest will be accepted on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, in the Creative Arts building between 6:00-6:30 p.m. and judging will begin at 7:00 p.m. 

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me, (903) 473-4580 or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. To view upcoming events or additional information please visit https://rains.agrilife.org/ or follow Rains County AgriLife on Facebook.