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The 56th Annual Western 4-H Family and Consumer Science Show will be held October 12 and 13 at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City, South Dakota. While this is called a show, it consists of various contests for developing life skills that 4-H’ers, non 4-H youth, and adults may participate in. The event kicks off with an 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Burger Bust sponsored by the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce. The contests begin on Friday, October 12 at 9 a.m. with bread baking, and other contests run from noon to 6 p.m. Some contests will continue from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. More information may be found by emailing [email protected] or on Facebook under the show name. A complete show catalog is also available on Facebook with complete show rules.

New participants and youth group members are encouraged to come and do not need to pre-register. Contestants may come from any state and may enter as many contests as they wish but in only one age category. Board members and volunteers are available to assist newcomers to the show. The contests are bread baking, meat identification, family life photo, scrapbook pages, home living, place setting, fashion revue both sewn and purchased, public presentation, ingredient measuring, Family and Consumer Sciences judging, Produce ID and judging, and a Family and Consumer Sciences Skill-a-Thon. The public may view the exhibits after the contests.

The Saturday contests are followed by an honoree tea, public fashion show and awards presentation at 3 p.m. in the Walter Taylor Building on the edge of the fairgrounds. This year, the Board of Directors of the Western 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Show is pleased to honor all the 4-H members and volunteers. The Western Junior Home Economics Show, which is now referred to as the Western 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Show, was started in 1962 as a companion show to the Western Junior Livestock Show, which was 25-years-old at the time. The first contests were a Dairy Food Demonstration and Dress Revue. It has grown with the help of 4-H’ers, parents, extension personnel and volunteers to be a two day show participated in by youth and adults from many states. Likewise, many people have been donors who have helped provide funding for the annual show.