It’s Southeastern Youth Fair time

Kaylynn Tyson, then 10, of the Town and Country 4-H, pets her steer “Peanut” in a stall during steer weigh-in at the Southeastern Youth Fair in Ocala on Feb. 26, 2024. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

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Posted February 11, 2026 | By Susan Smiley-Height, [email protected]

The Southeastern Youth Fair remains one of the oldest and largest such student events in the nation. This year’s fair, set for Feb. 19-28, will mark the 86^th anniversary of the annual program, through which local FFA and 4-H members demonstrate their skills and raise money to further their education.

This year’s show will have 1,036 exhibitors with 3,248 entries in 46 different shows and contests.

An important element of each youth fair revolves around the market animal shows and auctions. The market animals include steers, swine, goats and lambs. The student participants invest a lot of time and money into raising their animals. They learn how to feed, groom and care for them, and keep mandatory detailed records. During the fair, the participants show the animals in hopes of winning ribbons and bragging rights, followed by the auctions, through which the youth earn money.

Last year’s SEYF participants sold 478 market animals, with sales grossing $1.9 million and more than 95% of the funds going directly to the youth.

“The Southeastern Youth Fair is a premier showcase of our youth in leadership and agriculture. It’s a tremendous way for businesses and individuals to support the youth in Marion County who have worked so hard on their 4-H and FFA projects. We have 163 market steers, 286 market swine, 77 market lambs and 32 market goats, which will be sold to the highest bidder — providing locally-grown meat to stock your freezers, but also supporting these children and their futures,” said Executive Director Sara Le Fils.

And the fair is not just about animals. There are many other ways in which to participate, including horticulture, kitchen, photography, sewing and tablescaping. Contests include the Dave Baillie BBQ cookoff, club exhibits, conservation tray, insect collection, livestock judging, plant ID, speech, tractor driving and more.

The theme this year is Sew It, Grow It, Show It.

“This theme pays homage to all the contests and opportunities for our kids to showcase their talents,” Le Fils said.

Each SEYF has a special honoree and this year that will be Craig Carpenter.

According to Le File, Carpenter has been an integral part of the SEYF community for decades, including more than 20 years on the executive and general boards, where he served as president from 2008 to 2009. He was treasurer of the Marion County Cattlemen’s Association for more than two decades, retiring in 2024. Carpenter was born and raised in Ocala, where his grandfather was a Marion County sharecropper and his father, Richard Carpenter, spent his career in the agricultural equipment business. 

SEYF participants often learn skills that last their lifetime.

“They learn responsibility, marketing, communication, entrepreneurship and record keeping, which are just a few of the life skills,” Le Fils noted. “There is nothing better than the hands-on learning that happens to our local youth who raise an animal, learn to market and promote their project, then showcase it at the fair together with their friends and fellow club and chapter members. They make life-long memories here.”

The general public is welcome to attend the fair, which takes place at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion at 2232 Jacksonville Road, Ocala.

To learn more and see the full calendar of events, go to seyfair.com