🧰Fair week packing list

Print this, tape it to the fridge, and start a pile a week early. The fairgrounds are in Holbrook, so a forgotten item can mean an hour round trip.

Paperwork folder

• Seasonal Pass copy for each animal (keep the original at home or in the truck)
• YQCA certificate (current through Sept 19)
• ShoWorks entry confirmation (screenshot is fine)
• NCJL tag numbers written down, plus which animal you’re declaring for showmanship and sale
• Pre-fair show proof (receipt or ribbon photo)
• Pre-filled add-on sheets and your buyer list
• Copy of the fair week schedule
• Emergency contacts and any medications for people

Pen setup

• Shavings (one bag is provided; bring one or two more)
• Carabiners for gates
• Zip ties, baling wire, pliers, wire cutters
• Pig or cattle panel sections to hang feeders (goat and lamb pens especially)
• Scrap wood, a saw, a drill, screws (something always needs a fix)
• Feeder and waterer (many families use a bucket with a nipple or a hanging pan)
• Extra buckets, a scoop, feed in labeled containers with the daily amounts written on tape
• Wheelbarrow or muck bucket, manure fork, broom
• Fan or mister, heavy-duty extension cord, zip ties to mount it (tarps must be down by 9 AM)
• Stall card holder and a marker
• For steers: halter AND neck rope (double-tie rule), tie ring, show halter
• Lock for the tack box (not for the pen after Saturday night)

Animal care

• Enough feed for the whole week plus a day, the same feed you’ve been using
• Hay for lambs, goats, steers
• Minerals / supplements you normally give
• Water from home if your animal is picky (fair water tastes different and some animals go off it)
• Electrolytes for hot days
• Hoof trimmers, brushes, combs
• Livestock shampoo and conditioner; a hose, spray nozzle, and wash bucket
• Towels, a blanket or sock/tube for lambs and goats after clipping
• Clippers, blades, blade oil (if you touch up at the fair)
• Show whip or pig bat; show stick and scotch comb for steers; show collar/chain for goats
• Spray bottle, fly spray (livestock-safe)
• First-aid: wound spray, vet wrap, thermometer, and your vet’s phone number

Show box

• Show clothes for Thursday and Friday: collared/button-down shirts, jeans or nice pants with no holes, belt, boots
• Safety pins or a number clip for your back number
• Hairbrush, hair ties, a hat for the barn (not the ring)
• Backup shirt in case of a barn accident
• Lint roller and a stain pen

People stuff

• Two wristbands come in your packet; extra wristbands ($15) and carnival passes ($25) bought online by the Friday before
• Camp chairs, a shade canopy for the people (not the pen), cooler, lots of water
• Sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, a hoodie for cold nights
• Snacks and lunch money
• Phone chargers and a power bank
• Homework for the school days you’ll miss
• Cash for shavings tickets ($15/bag at the Fair Office before 9 AM)

Sale day

• Buyer luncheon drinks: last name A–L, a case of 24 waters; M–Z, a 12-pack of soda, in the sale barn by 11:30 AM Friday
• Buyer gift, wrapped, with a card and photo of you and your animal
• Thank-you cards and stamps to start writing that night
• A camera. Take the picture with your buyer.

Camping

• Tell Becca Bushman (928-386-0138) you’re camping; call for your space number
• Use Gate #10; no driving in or out 9 AM–10 PM
• Trailer levelers, water, and everything you’d normally camp with. No trailers in the parking lots.

The night before check-in

• Animal washed (must be clean and dry at the scale), tags cleaned so they’re readable
• Feed tubs and water filled at home; animal fed lightly if you’re managing weight
• Truck and trailer loaded; the paperwork folder on the front seat
• Alarms set. Gates open at 1 PM; weigh-in for steers starts at 5, lambs/goats/turkeys at 6, swine at 7