Dakota Farmer

Normalcy returns to summer 2021.

Kevin Schulz, Editor

June 22, 2021

3 Min Read
"Fair on now" sign
LIKE THEY NEVER LEFT: 4-H members across South Dakota get to shine once again after COVID-19 canceled a lot of county fairs and achievement days across the state in 2020. This summer offers a full slate of achievement days and county fairs. Smith Collection/Gado /Getty Images

Editor’s note: This is the second part in a three-part series keeping you up to date on fairs and achievement days in the Dakotas. Read the first story here.

Youth are our future, and this summer is shaping up to provide young people across South Dakota a chance to shine.

While COVID-19 greatly reduced the chance for 4-H’ers to show off the hard work they put into their livestock and static projects during 2020, this summer offers a full slate of achievement days and county fairs across the state. Those 4-H’ers who missed out on sharing their hard work last summer are anxiously waiting to get in front of judges this summer.

Every county in the state may not have a county fair, but achievement days are found in most counties. If you want to see the best that South Dakota’s youth have to offer, save this listing and check out a county fair or achievement day near you.

Of course, the South Dakota State Fair in Huron signifies the end of the summer, but there’s a full calendar of fun and achievement before then:

  • July 24 Jones/Mellette Counties Livestock Show, Murdo

  • July 26-27 Jones/Mellette Counties Achievement Days, Murdo

  • July 26-27 Lyman County Achievement Days, Kennebec

  • July 26-28 Lincoln County Achievement Days, Canton

  • July 26-28 Roberts County Achievement Days, Sisseton

  • July 26-29 Deuel County Achievement Days, Clear Lake

  • July 26-29 Lincoln County Achievement Days, Lennox

  • July 26-29 Spink County Achievement Days, Redfield

  • July 26, 29-30 Fall River County Achievement Days, Edgemont

  • July 26-31 Butte/Lawrence County Fair, Nisland

  • July 27 Walworth/Campbell Counties Static Exhibits Achievement Days, Herreid

  • July 27-31 Kingsbury County Achievement Days, De Smet

  • July 28-31 Moody County Fair, Flandreau

  • July 29 Dewey County Fair, Timber Lake

  • July 30-31 Bon Homme County Achievement Days, Tyndall

  • July 30-31 McCook County Achievement Days, Salem

  • July 30-31 Meade County Fair and Achievement Days, Sturgis

  • July 30-31 Walworth/Campbell Counties Livestock Exhibits and Achievement Days, Selby

  • July 30-Aug. 1 Hutchinson County Fair, Tripp

  • Aug. 1-2 Faulk County Achievement Days, Faulkton

  • Aug. 1-2 Hanson County Achievement Days, Alexandria

  • Aug. 1-3 Prairie Winds (Hughes/Stanley Counties) Achievement Days, Fort Pierre

  • Aug. 2-3 Aurora County Achievement Days, Plankinton

  • Aug. 2-3 Douglas County Achievement Days, Armour

  • Aug. 2-3 McPherson County Achievement Days, Leola

  • Aug. 2-4 Grant County Achievement Days, Milbank

  • Aug. 2-4 Miner County Achievement Days, Howard

  • Aug. 2-5 Brookings County Achievement Days, Brookings

  • Aug. 2-5 Clark County Achievement Days, Clark

  • Aug. 2-5 Codington County Achievement Days, Watertown

  • Aug. 2-5 Marshall County Achievement Days, Britton

  • Aug. 2-6 Hamlin County Achievement Days, Hayti

  • Aug. 3-5 Beadle County Achievement Days, Huron

  • Aug. 3-7 Tripp County Mid Dakota Fair, Winner

  • Aug. 4-6 Brule County Achievement Days, Pukwana

  • Aug. 4-6 Edmunds County Achievement Days, Ipswich

  • Aug. 5 Ziebach County Achievement Days, Dupree

  • Aug. 5-6 Hand County Achievement Days, Miller

  • Aug. 5-7 Davison County Achievement Days, Mitchell

  • Aug. 5-7 Lake County Fair, Madison

  • Aug. 5-7 Sanborn County Achievement Days, Forestburg

  • Aug. 5-7 Todd County Fair, Mission

  • Aug. 5-7 Union County Fair, Alcester

  • Aug. 5-7 Yankton County Fair, Yankton

  • Aug. 5-8 Perkins County Fair, Bison

  • Aug. 6-7 Charles Mix County Achievement Days, Lake Andes

  • Aug. 6-15 Minnehaha County Fair, Sioux Falls

  • Aug. 7-10 Potter County Fair, Gettysburg

  • Aug. 9-11 Gregory County Achievement Days, Gregory

  • Aug. 9-11 Jerauld/Buffalo Counties Achievement Days, Wessington Springs

  • Aug. 11-15 Bennett County Fair, Martin

  • Aug. 11-15 Day County Fair, Webster

  • Aug. 12-14 Clay County Fair, Vermillion

  • Aug. 12-15 Custer County Achievement Days, Hermosa

  • Aug. 13-14 Haakon/Jackson Counties Achievement Days, Phillip

  • Aug. 13-14 Hyde County Fair, Highmore

  • Aug. 13-15 Corson County Fair, McIntosh

  • Aug. 13-15 Sully County Achievement Days and County Fair, Onida

  • Aug. 16-19 Turner County Fair, Parker

  • Aug. 16-22 Brown County Fair, Aberdeen

  • Aug. 20-22 Harding County Fair, Camp Crook

  • Aug. 20-29 Pennington (Central States Fair), Rapid City

  • Sept. 2-6 South Dakota State Fair, Huron

Note that dates and schedules are subject to change, so check with local sources for more information.

About the Author(s)

Kevin Schulz

Kevin Schulz

Editor, The Farmer

Kevin Schulz joined The Farmer as editor in January of 2023, after spending two years as senior staff writer for Dakota Farmer and Nebraska Farmer magazines. Prior to joining these two magazines, he spent six years in a similar capacity with National Hog Farmer. Prior to joining National Hog Farmer, Schulz spent a long career as the editor of The Land magazine, an agricultural-rural life publication based in Mankato, Minn.

During his tenure at The Land, the publication grew from covering 55 Minnesota counties to encompassing the entire state, as well as 30 counties in northern Iowa. Covering all facets of Minnesota and Iowa agriculture, Schulz was able to stay close to his roots as a southern Minnesota farm boy raised on a corn, soybean and hog finishing farm.

One particular area where he stayed close to his roots is working with the FFA organization.

Covering the FFA programs stayed near and dear to his heart, and he has been recognized for such coverage over the years. He has received the Minnesota FFA Communicator of the Year award, was honored with the Minnesota Honorary FFA Degree in 2014 and inducted into the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame in 2018.

Schulz attended South Dakota State University, majoring in agricultural journalism. He was also a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and now belongs to its alumni organization.

His family continues to live on a southern Minnesota farm near where he grew up. He and his wife, Carol, have raised two daughters: Kristi, a 2014 University of Minnesota graduate who is married to Eric Van Otterloo and teaches at Mankato (Minn.) East High School, and Haley, a 2018 graduate of University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She is married to John Peake and teaches in Hayward, Wis. 

When not covering the agriculture industry on behalf of The Farmer's readers, Schulz enjoys spending time traveling with family, making it a quest to reach all 50 states — 47 so far — and three countries. He also enjoys reading, music, photography, playing basketball, and enjoying nature and campfires with friends and family.

[email protected]

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