Burpee Museum of Natural History joins La Salle County 4-H fair for first time

A new partnership with two Illinois museums will bring hands-on activities to this year’s La Salle County 4-H Show and Junior Fair, which returns this week with growing participation.

The Burpee Museum of Natural History, known for its dinosaur exhibits and paleontology programs, and Rockford’s Discovery Center Museum will set up shop on the fairgrounds Friday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering educational experiences and activities.

“This is a new, exciting one,” La Salle County’s 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator Toni Pienta said. “Our educator visited the Burpee Museum and learned of some great educational and experiential opportunities. Through collaboration with the Junior Fair Association, they’ll now be on-site during the fair.”

The fair, hosted at the La Salle County Fairgrounds in Ottawa, includes daily livestock competitions, stage exhibits, a 4-H exhibition show on Thursday with night events like a truck and tractor pull, rodeo and demolition derby.

Notably, participation numbers remain strong heading into this year’s show, and even saw a slight increase.

“We did see an uptick in our exhibitor count this year, which is always great to see,” she said.

While no major changes are planned, Pienta said there’s always something new behind the scenes - including shifts in the types of projects 4-H members choose to exhibit.

“It seems every year we see subtle changes in project areas,” she said. “Some years there’s more interest in floriculture and horticulture, and other years kids might focus more on livestock or visual arts.”

Pienta noted some 4-H members submit five or ten projects, while others enter more than 50.

However, she said the organization works to make sure kids aren’t overwhelmed with the process and have a positive experience preparing and presenting their projects.

“It’s all about helping them master their skills, learn to communicate with a judge, and accept feedback in a way that helps them grow,” she said.

Regardless if they have someone in the show, Pienta encouraged people to attend the fair.

“Come out and see what our youth are capable of,” she said. “There’s something for everyone - exhibits, activities, food and evening events but most importantly a real sense of community and pride.”

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Parker Twait and Keria McNelis of Serena walk their dairy calf to the wash area Thursday, July 11, 2024, during the La Salle County 4-H Fair in Ottawa. (Scott Anderson)