Oconee County 4-H

• October 1: Oconee Area Junior Naturalists — 4:30-5:30pm; Geology at Oconee Quarry.
• October 1-4: National 4-H Volunteer Conference; Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Eatonton, GA.
• October 2: South Carolina 4-H Be a Food Scientist Project registration closes — ages 7-18; $20; project runs Oct. 19-Dec. 18.
• October 4-10: National 4-H Week
  • October 5: Go Green Day.
  • October 8: Thankful Thursday.
• October 5: NO Oconee County Clovers
• October 8: NO Jr. Nat
• October 10: 4-H in the Forest — 9-11am; Fire Safety & Prescribed Fire as a Management Tool.
• October 11: Oconee 4-H Volunteer Training — 3-5pm; required for club leaders and volunteers who actively work with youth; strongly recommended for all volunteers.
• October 12: Oconee Hoppers Rabbit Club — 6pm; Oconee Extension Office — Topic: TBD
• October 13: Bark Buddies K9 Club — 6pm; Oconee Extension Office — Topic: TBD
• October 15: Oconee Area Junior Naturalists — 4:30-5:30pm; Mammals.
• October 15-25: South Carolina State Fair; SC State Fairgrounds, Columbia, SC.
  • October 17: 4-H Day at the South Carolina State Fair— current 2026-27 4-H members receive FREE admission by wearing 4-H gear or showing a current membership card. Parade of Counties: meet at Nutt Cattle Arena at 12:45pm; 4-H Ceremony starts at 1pm. Includes 4-H Rabbit and Poultry Showmanship.
• October 17: Rabbit Project Knowledge Test Due.
• October 18: OCC Hikes — 2pm; Long Creek Falls.
• October 19: Oconee County Clovers — 6pm; Oconee Extension Office — Topic: fishing equipment, casting, and fly tying
• October 19-December 18: South Carolina 4-H Be a Food Scientist Project — independent food-science project for ages 7-18; $20. Includes 3 newsletters, 3 instructional videos, and a 4-H Project Record Book.
• October 21: Tri-County Homesteading Club — 4-6pm; Topic: PUMPKINS – bring a pumpkin to carve. We’ll roast seeds, clean them and prepare for saving, and talk pumpkin use and lore.
• October 22: Oconee Area Junior Naturalists — 4:30-5:30pm; Monarchs & Milkweed.
• October 26: Oconee Junior Chefs — 5pm; Oconee Extension Office — Topic: Shepherd’s Pie.
• October 27: Boo-Rax: A Crystal Bone Lab — 5:30-7pm; ages 5+; $6 per 4-H member/volunteer, $8 per non-member; stay-with-your-kid event (no drop-offs). BYOB: bring one clean, dry real or artificial bone, skull, antler, or other small object. Optional Bone Shop: cleaned craft bones $1-$3 each, while supplies last.
• October 29: Oconee Area Junior Naturalists — 6:30-8pm; Spooky Friends! Special evening finale; confirm location when registering.
• October 30: State 4-H Team Cooking Challenge registration deadline — teams of 2-4 Senior 4-H members (ages 14-18 as of Jan. 1, 2027) with an adult chaperone; $25 per team. Youth cannot self-register; contact your county 4-H agent. Event is Nov. 14 at the Farm at Florence 1, Florence, SC.

• November 2: Oconee County Clovers — 10am; Topic: Walhalla Fish Hatchery Field Trip!
• November 6: Build ’Til It Breaks! — Engineering Play — 5-6:30pm; Oconee Extension Office. Apple-tower and bridge-building engineering Pop-Up; FREE for current 4-H members, $6 for non-members. Geared toward ages 9-18; determined younger builders welcome.
• November 9: Oconee Hoppers Rabbit Club — 6pm; Oconee Extension Office — Topic: TBD
• November 12: Tri-County Homesteading Club — 4:30pm — Topic: TBD
• November 13: State 4-H Beef, Dairy, Goat, Horse, and Swine Record Book Project registration deadline; online.
• November 13: South Carolina 4-H Pinckney Leadership Roundup registration opens; online.
• November 14: CAFLS Alumni Football Tailgate / Youth Day information — Clemson vs. Georgia Tech; Fike Recreation Center, Clemson. Tailgate admission is FREE; doors open 4 hours before kickoff and close 1 hour before kickoff.
• November 14: State 4-H Team Cooking Challenge — Farm at Florence 1, Florence, SC; $25 per team.
• November 14: 4-H in the Forest — 9-11am; Forest Health & Leaf Change.
• November 16: Oconee County Clovers — 6-7:30pm; Oconee Extension Office — Topic: Game Cleaning
• November 17: Bark Buddies K9 Club — 6pm; Oconee Extension Office — Topic: TBD
• November 26-27: Thanksgiving Holiday; Clemson University.
• November 27-December 1: National 4-H Congress; Atlanta, GA.
• November 27-December 13: Tractor Supply Paper Clover Campaign; stores across the state.
• November 30: Oconee Junior Chefs — 5:30pm; Oconee Extension Office — Topic: TBD.
• November: Wildlife Food Plot Project planting/check-in milestone — TBD
• November: State 4-H Program Team meeting / agent out-of-office date — TBD

A short-term program focused on practical dog obedience skills. Youth work directly with their dogs to build communication, confidence, and handling skills, with the option to compete at the Foothills Heritage Fair.

Contact: Tina Reif treif@clemson.edu

• Dates, fees, and registration for 2027 TBD

• Contact: Lil Ledford, ledfor7@clemson.edu

2027 Census dates and information are now available.

Oconee 4-H programming connected to the Census will be announced as plans are finalized.

Fair Website  

*Note: The forms below are sample drafts. Each year, as we approach the fair the most current forms can be found on the Heritage Fair website.

Exhibit Competitions:

• Educational Posters:
  • Poster Guidelines
  • Poster Exhibit Examples
    
• Cookie Contest

2026 Show Entry Forms

South Carolina State Fair 4-H Day: A chance for 4-H members from across the state to celebrate their projects, leadership, and community while representing their counties at the South Carolina State Fair. Members can participate in livestock and showmanship events (deadlines in September), connect with other 4-H youth, and join fellow Oconee County members in the Parade of Counties. Whether exhibiting animals, cheering on friends, or exploring the fair, youth gain confidence, sportsmanship, and pride in being part of South Carolina 4-H.

• 4-H Day at the Fair is typically held on the first Saturday of the South Carolina State Fair.
• Current SC 4-H members receive free fair admission on 4-H Day with a valid membership card or by wearing 4-H apparel.
• Rabbit and Poultry Showmanship Contests are held on 4-H Day.
• Livestock and showmanship registration deadlines are typically in late September (September 26 for 2026).
• Oconee County 4-H members are encouraged to participate in the Parade of Counties and represent our county alongside other 4-H members from across South Carolina.
• There are 4-H specific divisions in the Home and Craft Department Registration for those contests closes on  September 1st.Visit  here  for more information. 
• Fair events, rules, contest guides, and registration information are available at the SCSF website.
• Contact: Lil Ledford, ledfor7@clemson.edu

A free short-term program in partnership with Oconee County Parks, designed for youth ages 8–13. Participants explore the outdoors through topics like wildlife, plants, geology, and ecosystems, building observation skills and environmental stewardship.

• Contact: Gina Spear  gspear@oconeesc.com
• Thursdays 4:30-5:30, August 20 - October 22, 6:30-8 October 29
• For more information, locations, and to register youth for each day of participation: https://2026oconeejrnaturalist.eventbrite.com
• Youth must also have a Parks Registration Form completed ( Fillable PDF  printed or emailed, or  Google Form ) prior to participation.

Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) : A free training program in partnership with Oconee County Parks that prepares youth for the statewide WHEP competition. Youth learn wildlife identification, habitat evaluation, and conservation practices while building teamwork and problem-solving skills.

• Contact: Gina Spear  gspear@oconeesc.com
• Most Mondays 4:30-5:30 January – April (once monthly Wednesday for Seniors)
• For more information, locations, and to register youth for each day of participation:  [Eventbrite will be updated when available]
• Youth must also have a Parks Registration Form completed ( Fillable PDF  printed or emailed, or  Google Form ) prior to participation.
• Oconee’s Senior WHEP team brought home the 2025 South Carolina state championship!