Parish Events & Contests

Join us at the 4-H Office to start getting into the fall fun with a holiday pumpkin workshop. Members will be decorating pumpkins, making pumpkin treats and incorporating a bit of STEM into the day.

Who: 4th – 6th graders

When: Friday, October 9, 2026 from 9am-12pm

How to Register: the (Pumpkin Madness Workshop – Fill out forms) 16 spots available. Registeration opens Sept. 26th Form will be closed until then!

Fees: $15 (all supplies will be provided)

Hands-on cooking club where participants dive into healthy eating habits, kitchen safety, knife skills, and more!

Who: 6th – 8th graders

When: Oct.12 from 9am-12pm at the Patterson Civic Center

How to Register: (Nutrition Camp – Fill out form) Registeration will be closed until Sept. 26th

30 spots available. Form will be closed until then! Fees: $15 due at drop off

Explore the exciting world of birds in this hands-on birding workshop! Participants will learn how to identify local bird species, use binoculars, and discover the important role birds play in our environment through fun activities and outdoor observation.

Who: 4th – 7th graders

When: Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Where: Lake End Park in Morgan City, in the Enclosed Pavilion

How to Register: fill out the forms

Fees: $10 due at drop off

This year we will be bringing back our virtual pumpkin painting contest! This contest is open to all 4-H members. Email submissions to [email protected] by Friday, October 25th to participate.

Rules/Guidelines:

1. Each participant is only allowed 1 entry into the contest
2. In the email submissions, please include student's full name, school/4-H club, what category they are entering, and a clear picture of the pumpkin. If any entry is missing information, it will not be entered into the contest.
3. In the email, CC [email protected] or [email protected] in the submission
4. Pumpkins may be painted and/or decorated with other craft materials

Categories:

• 4-H Spirit
• Animals
• Characters (Movie, Books, etc.)
• Carving
• Other/Miscellaneous

Cookery

2026 Cookery Contest Rulespdf

This event will consist of our annual Commodity Cookery Contest and this year we are bringing back the Pet Show!

Fall Fun Day will be on Saturday, November 7th from 9am-12pm.

This contest is open to both 4-H members and Cloverbud members. 4-H'ers can only submit one dish per category

The following commodities and divisions will be offered:

• Louisiana Commodities - Rice
  • Main, Side, or Dessert
• Egg
  • Appetizer/salad, Main, or Dessert
• Poultry
  • Chicken, Processed, or Other Poultry Meat
• Sweet Potato
• • Desserts, or Sweet Potato Dishes

• Rice
• • Main, Side, or Dessert
• Beef
  • Low Calorie Main, Quick and East, or One Dish Meal
• Seafood
  • Crab, Crawfish, Shrimp, Oysters, or Fish and Others
• Sugar
  • Cakes, Candy, Cookies, or Pies

Held at the Blevins Bldg. in Franklin, LA. There will be an awards ceremony at the end! Those 4-H members who placed 1st in their respective category will represent St. Mary at the Area Cookery on April 29th at the Assumption Parish 4-H Office.

Pet Show

Pet Show Rulespdf

Location: Blevins Building Garage, 600 Main Street, Franklin, LA
Registration: 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Pet Show: 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Awards Ceremony: 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (tentative; times may vary)

Rules and Regulations

• Participants must be enrolled in St. Mary Parish 4-H. Pet project enrollment is not required.
• Pets must be live animals owned by or regularly cared for by the exhibitor.
• Pets must remain leashed or caged at all times.
• Only healthy, well-behaved animals may participate. Aggressive, disruptive, or sick animals will be disqualified and removed.
• Proof of rabies vaccination is required for dogs, cats, and ferrets at registration.
• Exhibitors may show up to two pets. Each pet may be entered in no more than three classes.
• Parents or guardians must remain onsite and may not handle animals during judging.
• Exhibitors must wear closed-toe shoes and be prepared to discuss their pet with the judge.
• Animal abuse will result in disqualification.
• Exhibitors are responsible for cleaning up after their pets and bringing waste bags.
• Livestock (beef, dairy, swine, sheep, goats, horses, poultry) and captive wild animals are not permitted.
• Ribbons will be awarded by class and grade division (3rd-4th, 5th-6th, and 7th-12th grades).
• Contest officials may dismiss any pet or exhibitor deemed unfit for competition.
• The LSU AgCenter and show officials are not responsible for injury, loss, or damage involving participants, pets, or property.

Rules are as follows:

1. Contest is open to all members (3rd-12th grade). Not limited to members in the photography project

2. All entries must have been taken by the 4-H member who submits the photo.

3. Only one entry per category. Members can enter in multiple categories.

4. Photos may be in color or in black & white.

5. Submitted photos should be 4x6, 5x7, or 8x10.

6. On each submitted photo, write on the back the member’s name, school, grade, and the category you are entering in.

(Selfies are not allowed)

Categories are:

• People
• Animals
• Food
• Nature
• Transportation

All entries should be submitted at your March club meeting or turned into the 4-H Office no later than Thursday, March 20th at 4:30pm.

Join us for a fun-filled Kitchen Science Workshop where you'll create bouncy balls, explore colorful chemical reactions, and make homemade ice cream while discovering the science behind it all.

Who: 4th – 6th graders

When: November 3, 2026 from 9:00 am-12:00pm

Where: 4-H Office

Fees: $10 due at drop off

Achievement Day is a fun, educational, field trip opportunity for our 4-H members to celebrate their hard work over the past 4-H year. At this event we have educational activities and booths led by our Jr. leaders and LSU AgCenter staff. These booths/tables focus on different aspects of 4-H topics!

The event is held at the Patterson Civic Center on Wednesday, May 13, 2027.

To attend Achievement Day St. Mary 4-H members have to submit a homemaking project for the fair. Our homemaking fair is one of our favorite contests throughout the year. You do not need to attend Achievement Day in order to enter. Each member is only allowed to enter 1 entry per division. The division will be attached to the newsletter given out closer to the event.