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Silicon Valley begins countdown to next year’s World Cup

The countdown has begun for the FIFA World Cup coming to Silicon Valley next year. Representatives from the Bay Area Host Committee and Santa Clara celebrated the one-year countdown to the World Cup Wednesday with speeches and a youth soccer clinic led by the San Jose Earthquakes. Levi’s Stadium will host six games in 2026, […]

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The countdown has begun for the FIFA World Cup coming to Silicon Valley next year.

Representatives from the Bay Area Host Committee and Santa Clara celebrated the one-year countdown to the World Cup Wednesday with speeches and a youth soccer clinic led by the San Jose Earthquakes. Levi’s Stadium will host six games in 2026, beginning June 13. City officials dedicated a plaque to commemorate the games and unveiled a one-year timer, which will be moved around the community and presented at various city events.

“Let’s make sure that when the world looks at Santa Clara, they’re not just seeing a host city, but a community that never stopped believing in its children’s future,” Mayor Lisa Gillmor said.

Metal plaque reading "FIFA World Cup 26th Host City"
This plaque commemorates the six FIFA World Cup games set to be hosted at Levi’s Stadium in 2026. Photo by B. Sakura Cannestra.

About 160 children from Santa Clara youth sports groups participated in the soccer clinic after the commemoration ceremony, according to Bay Area Host Committee CEO Zaileen Janmohamed.

She said the host committee is working on events to include Santa Clara and Bay Area residents in the World Cup festivities, such as more clinics and watch parties. She said the World Cup has historically had seismic impacts on the nation’s soccer communities, as the 1994 World Cup helped create Major League Soccer.

“Today is a really good example of what you can expect,” Janmohamed told San José Spotlight. “We want to make sure that we have … a way for people in the community to feel like they’re part of the World Cup, even if they’re not coming to a game. That’s what you should start to see.”

Darker skinned woman with bob wearing black puff sleeved jacket speaks at a podium in front of a crowd, with Bay Area Host Committee and City of Santa Clara banners behind her
Bay Area Host Committee CEO Zaileen Janmohamed said she’s excited to bring Bay Area communities together with the FIFA World Cup. Photo by B. Sakura Cannestra.

Santa Clara is gearing up for a busy 2026, as Levi’s Stadium will host Super Bowl 60 Feb. 8, only a few months before the World Cup matches in June, both facilitated by the Bay Area Host Committee. Preparations are underway for both events and Janmohamed said the largest lift — a roughly $25 million renovation of Levi’s Stadium’s field to fit FIFA requirements — is nearly complete.

“We’ve been in this planning phase, ‘what if we did it this way,’” Janmohamed said. “We’re moving from that ‘what if’ to a ‘let’s do this.’”

Santa Clara officials have been looking for ways to get residents involved and see more local economic benefits from these mega sporting events. When Santa Clara hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016, the Bay Area collectively saw a $240 million boost, but only about 7% of that revenue went to Santa Clara.

Councilmember Karen Hardy said she wants to work with the host committee and FIFA to bring more benefits into the city. She suggested letting Santa Clara youths have a moment on the field during the games or letting residents purchase discounted tickets, but both are up in the air. The city is working on hosting a concert at Santa Clara University in the months between Super Bowl 60 and the World Cup games, to give residents more opportunities to celebrate.

“We’re working on getting that funding and doing that for the community … as a present to our residents,” Hardy told San José Spotlight.

Engaging the community will be key in this year’s run up to the events. Aly Wagner, founder of the local National Women’s Soccer League team Bay FC, said engaging with the larger soccer community as a youth during the 1994 World Cup inspired her to pursue the game. Wagner won two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA World Cup bronze medals during her 20 years playing internationally.
Keep our journalism free for everyone!Wagner said she hopes the upcoming World Cup games similarly inspire Silicon Valley’s youngest generations of soccer players. FIFA is expected to announce the World Cup’s group stage teams on Dec. 5, which includes all teams in the various groups and who will play at which stadiums. She said it’ll be easier to rally the community around the games once it’s known who will play at Levi’s Stadium.

“Touching it and feeling it and being a part of it is very different from watching it on a broadcast,” Wagner told San José Spotlight. “We’ve always been a hotbed for talent in soccer, now we have an opportunity to grow that because more people are going to be exposed and fall in love with this game.”

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X.





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Officers respond to fatal overdose in SE Rochester

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A man has passed away from an overdose in his home. Around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 14, officers responded to a home on 7th Ave. SE for a report of an overdose. When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive man inside with drug paraphernalia on his lap. Officers attempted to […]

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ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A man has passed away from an overdose in his home.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 14, officers responded to a home on 7th Ave. SE for a report of an overdose.

When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive man inside with drug paraphernalia on his lap.

Officers attempted to provide lifesaving measures, but the man did not survive.

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Future Legends closure touches youth sports players, teams

The impact of the continued closure of a local sports complex extends beyond the financial and legal challenges and mutli-state court battles now dominating the Future Legends site in Windsor. Youth sports, and opportunities for youth sports, have been affected and altered by the 2 ½-month shutdown of the 118-acre space, which was billed as […]

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The impact of the continued closure of a local sports complex extends beyond the financial and legal challenges and mutli-state court battles now dominating the Future Legends site in Windsor.

Youth sports, and opportunities for youth sports, have been affected and altered by the 2 ½-month shutdown of the 118-acre space, which was billed as a premium youth sports venue when it was established four years ago by owner Jeff Katofsky.

The Future Legends website says the facility represents “the next evolution of youth sports venues, offering an experience unlike any other to athletes and their families.”

The planned dream has not become a reality to this point. Construction, which was to include dormitories, hotels and retail space, was never completed. Future Legends has been caught up in financial disputes dating to the first few months of work in 2021.

Fields have been closed since late April as part of Future Legends’ dispute with the town of Windsor. The stadium and the inflated domed indoor facility are also closed. The shutdowns forced at least two local youth sports organizations to find other facilities or to redesign its own identity.

“The only thing hurt in all of this is the kids and families of all of the sports,” Triple Threat Basketball club director Todd Matkin said.

Jeff Katofsky, founder of Future Legends, discusses ongoing construction work during a tour of the Future Legends Sports Complex in Windsor on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the project a $13 million loan guarantee through its Rural Development division.
Jeff Katofsky, founder of Future Legends, discusses ongoing construction during a February 2022 tour of the complex in Windsor. (Trevor Reid/Greeley Tribune file photo)

Future Legends spokesman Jordan Freemyer said Tuesday more than 100 youth sports teams have used the facilities over the past few years. The teams have participated in multiple sports, including basketball, flag football, soccer, softball and volleyball, according to Freemyer.

The Northern Colorado Owlz, an independent league baseball team and one of three minor-league professional clubs based at the complex, resigned from the Pioneer Baseball League earlier this month. With no reasons offered for the move by either the PBL or Future Legends, the Owlz relocated to Colorado Springs to finish their season under another name.

The soccer teams, the men’s Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC and the women’s Northern Colorado Rain FC, both joined new leagues for 2025. The teams previously played in the multi-tiered United Soccer League. The Hailstorm were in the USL League One. The Rain played its first year in 2024 in the pre-professional USL W League.

The USL was reported to have removed the Hailstorm from the league, according to BizWest, an independent news outlet covering business in Northern Colorado.

Earlier this year, a Windsor-based youth soccer club rebranded for the second time in about a year after separating from Future Legends ownership. Rebranding includes switching to new uniforms and logos.

Now known as Windsor Athletic Football Club, the club describes itself as a grassroots youth soccer club dedicated to players’ development for boys and girls ages 3 to 19, according to windsorathleticfc.com.

The club started about four years ago as the Warriors Athletic Football Club. Founded by Windsor residents and friends James Walters and Ceri Jones, the Warriors club grew to 32 teams for about 500 players from ages U-8 to U-19.

Hailstorm manager Eamon Zayed watches his team play against Union Omaha at Future Legends Sports Complex in Windsor during the 2023 season.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)
Northern Colorado Hailstorm manager Eamon Zayed, right, watches his club during a 2023 match against Union Omaha at Future Legends Complex in Windsor (Jim Rydbom/Greeley Tribune file photo).

In spring 2024, the Warriors were renamed and rebranded as the Northern Colorado Lightning Academy when the partnership began with Future Legends.

The Lightning name was selected to maintain the weather-themed nickname of Future Legends soccer teams. The youth Lightning Academy also adopted the colors and crest of the Hailstorm and Rain. The club was geared to players from the U-5 to U-19 age groups.

Walters was the executive director of the Lightning, and Jones was the academy president. Walters estimated the Lightning would accommodate about 750 kids on 45 teams with 65 coaches as of fall 2024.

Future Legends is holding on to the Lightning Academy name. Freemyer said Tuesday there will soon be an announcement on the future of the academy.

Walters said the new Windsor Athletic club wants to be respectful in discussing its separation from Future Legends and to avoid agitating the relationship.

“Obviously, what has happened over there has been of concern,” Walters said. “It’s inevitably resulted in some challenges for us that we didn’t anticipate. What we’re not going to do publicly in any way, shape or form is to throw fuel on the fire over there and add to the controversy. Suffice to say, we feel like we want to go in a different direction.”

Walters said one of the unanticipated challenges with the switch to Windsor Athletic FC was additional expenses for families who have to buy new uniforms. Players previously had to have new uniforms last year when the club joined with Future Legends.

Walters said new team uniforms can cost up to about $600. Windsor Athletic earlier this year was working to keep uniform costs as low as possible.

Walters added even with the challenges of another change, he didn’t regret connecting with Future Legends to form the academy.

“It was a great experience,” Walters said. “It was interesting. We learned a lot. But most importantly, we’ve identified truly who are we, why do we do this, where are we going and what are the most important features of running a soccer club.”

Future Legends’ fields were a significant benefit of working with the organization, Walters said. Field space in Northern Colorado, as with gym space, can be hard to locate and secure, both Walters and Matkin said.

Walters said the soccer club will return to working with the town of Windsor and the Weld RE-4 School District on the use of fields.

“We’ve always had a very nice relationship with them that we’re absolutely thrilled to be formalizing again,” Walters said. “We stepped away from that dynamic when we went to Future Legends because it made sense with the pitches we had there.”

Matkin said the majority of Triple Threat’s season was complete by the time the Future Legends facilities closed. Matkin said the club had to scramble to find other gym space in the Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Windsor areas.

“Challenging at this point in the year,” Matkin said, adding gym space in the region is at a premium.

Triple Threat started working with Future Legends about 18 months ago. The youth club rented space at the complex in the previous five months, before signing on with Future Legends. Matkin said the relationship began through Triple Threat’s strong boys and girls programs and the “recognition our program had built up from local, state and national successes.”

Triple Threat is a select and competitive basketball program for athletes from Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. There are teams for players from third through 11th grades. The club’s program is designed for athletes who want to play beyond high school and who are interested in exposure while growing as players.

“In the grand scheme of things, Northern Colorado has needed something like this for years,” Matkin said of Future Legends. “I grew up in Northern Colorado, and I would’ve loved to have had this facility.”

The Future Legends Complex remains closed as of earlier this month based on a ruling by a Weld County District Court judge. The facility, though, is not closed permanently and its future remains in doubt as Katofsky works through the legal challenges.

 



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Ozark United FC investor Ross Cully shares vision for stadium project

A planned soccer stadium for Ozark United FC in Rogers has grown to include a $250 million to $350 million sports-anchored entertainment district on 36 acres in the Pinnacle Hills area. The shift in site location has pushed the targeted start date to 2027. It is still a 5,000-seat stadium with room for growth. The […]

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A planned soccer stadium for Ozark United FC in Rogers has grown to include a $250 million to $350 million sports-anchored entertainment district on 36 acres in the Pinnacle Hills area. The shift in site location has pushed the targeted start date to 2027.

It is still a 5,000-seat stadium with room for growth. The expanded site will allow for the addition of restaurants, breweries, and other amenities that developers say will enhance the game day atmosphere and position the district as a vibrant destination beyond the match.

Ross Cully, founder and CEO of The Harvest Group and one of the investors in this transformative project, sat down with Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Editor-in-Chief Roby Brock to explain his vision for the stadium and district, why he’s bullish on prospects for soccer and how the timing is right for this concept.

Roby Brock: For people who are not familiar, Ozark United FC started as this investment in a soccer stadium and a soccer team in Northwest Arkansas, but it has expanded greatly to a full-blown real estate and retail development. Give everybody a little background on what is going on with this project.

Ross Cully: The project has expanded. Originally, the idea was we had an opportunity as a community in Northwest Arkansas to expand into one of the professional tiers of U.S. soccer. We were pursuing that project and got a ton of initial interest from our community, from season ticket holder interest to corporate sponsorships. But when you’re looking at a development of this size, the location matters, and the land that you’re looking at matters a ton.

Planned location and facility for Ozark United FC

So we went through a couple of iterations of finding the right spot, and we are looking at a piece of land now that enables us to really diversify the investment and make, I think, the fan experience even better. Now, it’s planned to not just be a soccer stadium, but to be a multi-use real estate investment as well. As an investor, I think that’s a great move. As a community member, I think it’s a great move because as you look at professional stadiums, that’s really the wave that they’re going. You want the ability to not just go see a game, but also grab a bite to eat, grab a drink. People want to live near a stadium and this project now enables that.

Brock: And it will also add another professional sports franchise in the area, and it’s got some potential other uses for that stadium as well. Can you speak a little bit to that?

Cully: I think what you’re looking at from a venue standpoint is the ability to host a variety of events – be that concerts, be that corporate events – and so we’re really wanting to really develop the stadium to be a multi-use facility that hopefully the community can use in a variety of ways.

Brock: You are making a big investment in this as are many other people in the region. Tell me why you’re bullish on this project and why you think this particular concept’s time has come. Maybe five or 10 years ago, this might not have been the right kind of development for Northwest Arkansas, and 15 or 20 years from now, we might’ve missed the train on this.

Cully: I think your question, your setup there, and the question is right, is there is some timing to this? I think a lot of us would’ve loved to have been investors in NBA franchises and NFL franchises, and that ship has sailed. But I think when you look at the sport of soccer in the United States, I do think that we’re at a unique time. There’s really a shift going on when you study youth sports. Soccer has climbed to the number two most participated youth sport in most surveys right behind basketball. And you’re seeing demographic shifts along with youth. As our country becomes more diverse, the global sport of soccer is very popular to be played and to be cheered upon. So when you look at the U.S. and the top couple of tiers, there’s about 80 teams. You look at Europe, and there are 700 teams in the top two tiers. So there’s massive headroom for the sport of soccer here in the U.S., and I think you’re seeing a groundswell that comes up with the younger generation that is going to see the sport continue to get more popular.

You also have the World Cup that’s coming here in 2026. You see a lot of U.S. players blossoming on the global stage. With all of those changes as an investor and as a community member, I’m really excited about our opportunity to have a professional soccer franchise here in Northwest Arkansas. I do think the time is ripe. When you look at the population growth here looking to be a million people in a number of years, the ability to have more diverse housing options that include the excitement of being near a stadium, I think it’s going to be a great project.

Brock: What are we talking about timeframe wise? To put a little context, there will be the initial stadium and the soccer franchise and some of the things around it, but this is a multi-year, maybe even a multi-decade development because things are just going to keep layering and adding to it. Speak about the initial expectations and then what you kind of hope happens in terms of your vision.

Cully: Right now, obviously we’ve announced a name and a logo. We have the ability to sign up for those that are interested in tickets and sponsorships as we benchmark where we are and the interest we have in those areas versus other clubs that have started. We’re well ahead of pace. And so it’s very exciting to see the initial momentum we have right now. We’re in the fundraising and development stage, so really going through the land that we’ve secured to make sure that all of the development boxes are checked and continuing to have investor conversations.

Once we get to a place where that financing is secured and the development is ready to go, then obviously we will break ground. I don’t think there’s a determined timeline on that, but we are going to build the stadium in a way that it can expand as we have more and more interest.

So the fan experience of a soccer match is unique. That’s something that’s been great here in the U.S. is even the top tier of soccer of MLS [Major League Soccer] started playing in NFL stadiums. That’s just not the great fan experience you want when there’s five, 10,000 people in a 70,000-seat stadium. But if you’ve ever attended a soccer match in a city like Portland or Seattle or Kansas City, it has a specific soccer stadium. It’s a fun experience. We’re going to build a stadium that can expand as we have more ticket interest so that we have just hopefully a loud and fun atmosphere.

So we’re looking forward to continuing to progress and, as you said, it can take some time for these things to develop. But we are bullish on Northwest Arkansas as we talk to investors on a national scale and host investors from around the country. They’re excited about this project, they’re excited about our area, and I’m looking forward to hopefully building something that’s an asset to our community. It was neat to see the Oklahoma City Thunder win the NBA championship just a couple of hours down the road, and I’m excited to showcase the soccer talent of Northwest Arkansas hopefully for years to come with this club.



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Board appointed for Kalamazoo’s youth sports facility | WKZO | Everything Kalamazoo

KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County commissioners have appointed the members of the new authority board for the youth sports complex planned for the west side. The 11 members will be responsible for making the plan a reality over the next few years, guiding construction and infrastructure to support it, hiring staff and turning […]

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KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County commissioners have appointed the members of the new authority board for the youth sports complex planned for the west side.

The 11 members will be responsible for making the plan a reality over the next few years, guiding construction and infrastructure to support it, hiring staff and turning it into an operating facility.

It will house basketball and volleyball tournaments on the weekend and provide a space for local youth during the week.

Discover Kalamazoo’s Jane Ghosh, who is one of the new appointees, thanked the commission this week.

“We look forward to working to move this project forward as quickly as possible and we’re very excited about it we think it’s the right thing for our community.”

Tentative plans are to have the new facility open about the same time as the new Kalamazoo Event Center downtown, sometime in 2027.

The board is:

County Commissioner Monteze O. Morales

Kalamazoo Vice Mayor Jeanne Hess

Oshtemo Township Supervisor Cheri Bell

Brian Persky – Director of Business Development, Discover Kalamazoo

Jane Ghosh – President & CEO, Discover Kalamazoo

Fred Rahme – Area Director of Sales & Operations, Fairfield Inn & Suites

Devshya Patel – Regional Manager, Comfort Inn & Suites Downtown Kalamazoo

Rich MacDonald – Chief Operating Officer, The Hinman Company

Jill Bland – Executive Vice President, Southwest Michigan First

Corey Person – Director, United Persuit and Persuit of Excellence Foundation

Annemarie Boarham – General Manager and Integrator, Next Level Sports Center



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Family of Dylan Taylor files lawsuit against GreenWaste Recovery

Dylan Taylor, former paraeducator at La Entrada Middle School and Menlo Park youth athletics coach. Courtesy Mary Alexander and Associates. Two months after a collision with a GreenWaste Recovery truck killed Dylan Taylor, a beloved Menlo Park and Atherton youth athletics coach and paraeducator, his family has filed a lawsuit against the waste management company […]

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Dylan Taylor, former paraeducator at La Entrada Middle School and Menlo Park youth athletics coach. Courtesy Mary Alexander and Associates.

Two months after a collision with a GreenWaste Recovery truck killed Dylan Taylor, a beloved Menlo Park and Atherton youth athletics coach and paraeducator, his family has filed a lawsuit against the waste management company and its driver. 

“What happened nine weeks ago has torn our family apart,” said Michael Taylor, Dylan’s father. 

The Taylor family alleges the accident happened due to GreenWaste’s negligence and the driver’s failure to make a safe turn.The lawsuit was filed by San Francisco-based attorney Mary Alexander in San Mateo County Superior Court on July 8. 

The complaint details the occurrence of the GreenWaste driver colliding with Taylor, who was riding his bicycle, as the truck turned right onto Prior Lane in Atherton. The complaint alleges that when the truck turned in front of Taylor, it caused him to collide with the passenger door, throwing him to the ground, leading the garbage truck to run over him. This caused significant internal injuries leading to his death, according to the complaint. 

According to the lawsuit, the family believes that the driver failed to give Taylor the right of way, take steps to avoid the collision and to stop the truck after the initial collision. 

The complaint states that the California Highway Patrol’s investigation found that the driver was “at fault for the collision and was in violation of California Vehicle Code section 22107 — Unsafe Turning Movement.”

After the accident, the Atherton Police Department also began an investigation on the incident and found no indication of alcohol or drugs as contributing factors to the collision. The full report has since been forwarded to the San Mateo Count District Attorney’s Office for review, said Atherton Police Department Commander Dan Larsen.

“What we hope will come out of this lawsuit is that trucks like this that are supposed to be serving the community are also protecting the community from drivers that are inattentive,” said Alexander.

The lawsuit alleges that the driver was unfit and incompetent to operate a Freightliner garbage truck. This type of truck generally weighs over 40,000 pounds and can weigh approximately 25 tons when fully loaded, according to the suit. 

“We are looking to hold GreenWaste accountable and responsible for what happened,” said Michael Taylor. “We consider that their driver was negligent and the company was negligent for hiring him.”

While the police report is being reviewed by the district attorney, Alexander explained that the Taylors felt it was best to move ahead with a lawsuit while “it was all fresh.” Although the family is still grieving their son’s death, they want to make sure there is accountability for his death, she added. 

During a press conference announcing the lawsuit, Taylor’s mother, Kristy, recalled the worst day of her and her husband’s life. 

“The grief is still all encompassing and overwhelming and we will never be the same,” she said in her public statement. “The pain of losing him is unbearable and we miss him more than words can say. Nothing can bring him back, but GreenWaste needs to be held accountable.” 

Michael Taylor told this news organization that with this lawsuit, he hopes that GreenWaste will accept liability for the accident and change necessary procedures and protocols to prevent something like this from happening again. 

Alexander hopes that the company will increase training and education for its truck drivers as well as implement a stronger screening process when hiring candidates. She believes that is necessary for all waste management companies, not only GreenWaste. 

GreenWaste declined to comment on the lawsuit due to pending litigation. The company shared the following statement: “The safety and well-being of the communities we serve is central to GreenWaste’s mission. We are deeply saddened by this accident and offer our condolences to all those affected.” 

The community continues to keep Taylor’s legacy alive through sports, scholarships and conversation. In May, a local family helped start the Dylan Taylor Fund at the Reikes Center in Menlo Park to raise money for a scholarship that will support youth programs. The local Ultimate Frisbee League that he created also renamed itself the Dylan Taylor Ultimate Frisbee League, according to his parents. 

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Juniata County Youth Fair preps for event kick off | News, Sports, Jobs

PORT ROYAL– The annual Juniata County Youth Fair begins on Monday, July 21, at the Juniata County Fairgrounds in Port Royal. The event features fair foods, rides and games, but the Youth Fair is unique for its 4-H showings that take place during fair hours. Along with the loads of fun that come with playing […]

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PORT ROYAL– The annual Juniata County Youth Fair begins on Monday, July 21, at the Juniata County Fairgrounds in Port Royal.

The event features fair foods, rides and games, but the Youth Fair is unique for its 4-H showings that take place during fair hours.

Along with the loads of fun that come with playing fair games and riding fun rides, the Youth Fair offers a learning experience. The showings highlight goats, horses, rabbits, cows and sheep.

The theme this year is ‘Stars Stripes and Fair Nights,’ and the 4-H and FFA members will begin their exhibit on Monday, July 21.

The 4-H shows will run Monday through Thursday.

The pre show fun kicks off Monday at 9 a.m. with a rabbit show and a dairy market feeder show at 1 p.m.

The opening ceremony is set to begin at 5 p.m. at the livestock barn, with a dairy show to follow. To conclude Monday night, an ice cream social will take place immediately following the dairy show.

Visitors continue to see the animals that the 4-H members work so hard to raise and train, with a goat show on Tuesday at 9 a.m. A sheep show is to follow, set to begin at 1 p.m.

Wednesday is jam packed, starting again at 9 a.m. with a poultry show, followed by a beef show which is scheduled for noon. A silent auction will occur from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., which will include a baking contest, decorated cakes, butter, and club baskets. This event will be held in the commercial building. Check out the swine show at 5 p.m., and stick around for the “Ag Olympics,” sponsored this year by the Juniata FFA.

To wrap up a jam-packed week, there will be a supreme showmanship contest beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Immediately following the showmanship contest, an animal costume contest will begin.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m., there will be a buyer registration to prepare for the livestock sale, which is set to begin at 6 p.m..

The events will take place at the Juniata County fair grounds, located at 308 West Eighth St., Port Royal, 17082.

4-H and FFA members work year round, raising, training, and preparing their livestock for events like the Juniata County Youth Fair, so stop in Monday, July 21, through Thursday, July 24, to see how their hard work and dedication has paid off.

Emily Shoop, of Juniata County Penn State Extension, explained, “We had a really good turn out last year, with people coming in to see their friends and family. It looks like rain this year so it would be a good place to camp out and skip the rain.”

Shoop also explained that the Youth Fair benefits the children in many ways.

She explained what she is most excited for this year.

“It’s always nice to see the kids showing off all of their hard work and progress and what they have learned. We just love to see what all they have learned throughout the meal. I’m also excited for the livestock sale. We have a simulated live market and we sell until all the animals are gone. This year we have more sheep and more goats than last year which is exciting. That’s on Thursday, the check in starts at 4:30 and then we just go until all of the animals are sold,” Shoop said.

The order of the livestock sale is as follows: dairy market feeders, market lambs, market rabbits (pen of two rabbits, then single fryers), market poultry (pen of two broilers, then single market turkeys), market steers, market swine, and finally, market goats. The sale kicks off at 6 p.m.

Shoop added, “I think they (attendees) also like to buy when they can because they know that all the money made is donated back to the kids, so it all goes back into their learning and growth.”

Youth began Saturday, July 12, with a horse and pony show at the Mifflin County Youth Park, and Sunday, July 20, will be spent setting up, decorating, and doing weigh-ins to prepare for opening night on Monday.



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