Youth Market Turkey Show
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Collapse ▲What is the Youth Market Turkey Show?
–2025 YMTS Registration – Apr 8th at 9 a.m.–
Updated 2025 Registration Information
In previous years, registration involved a 2-step process: 1) Eventbrite and 2) Showorks. We have changed the process.
This year, all information including guardian’s name, email, cell #, youth’s legal name, age category, county, address, t-shirt size, and credit card payment of $30/participant (covers 3 poults, participant’s T-shirt, and a starter bag of feed) plus the completed and uploaded NC Substitute W-9, will be taken care of in ShoWorks. The W-9 must be downloaded from a web browser to become a fillable form, then completed, signed (a digital signature is acceptable), and saved as a PDF to be ready to upload into ShoWorks. Legal docs will be submitted in order to sign up for poult pickup.
Please note, that this year’s ages will be based on a January 1st cut-off (rather than the June 1st cut-off used in past years).
The age divisions, based on age as of January 1 are:
Lil’ Gobbler (5-8)
Junior (9-13)
Senior (14-18)
Winner of the 2025 T-shirt Design Contest is…

Winners Avery & Reagan Pierce of Vance County created the design on left that will be used on the 2025 YMTS T-shirt
Thank you to all the youth who participated in the t-shirt design contest.
Congratulations to our past t-shirt Design Winners:
2024 YMTS T-shirt Design Winner: Angel Roman, Yancey Cty
2023 YMTS t-shirt design co-winners: Meredith Poole and Valerie Poole, Franklin Cty
2022 YMTS t-shirt design winner: Ava Proctor, Franklin Cty
2021 YMTS t-shirt design winner: John Tucker, Rowan Cty
2020 YMTS t-shirt design winner: Camille Clark
Apply for the 2025 NC State Fair Livestock Scholarship!
If you are a high school senior or college student who has participated in the Youth Market Turkey Show, you are eligible to apply for the North Carolina State Fair Livestock Scholarship. Up to 25 $2,000 scholarships will be given to NC young people. Applications are due March 1, 2025. Find out more at the NC State Fair website or check out the application.
YMTS Important Dates & Info
YMTS Weigh-In – October 8, 2025, Wed, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Each participant’s turkey can be dropped off at the State Fairgrounds Kelley Building between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Drive into the fairgrounds through Gate 4 on Youth Center Drive to drop off turkeys. When you arrive at Gate 4, signage will indicate where you will need to go.
Your bird will be checked for health and weighed. Your turkeys must be transported with bedding ( like shavings/straw to create non-slick surface) to keep birds safe (prevent slippage) and clean. Welfare of birds must be maintained during transport. Birds with infections or weighing less than 12 lbs. will not be accepted for show and will be returned to the exhibitor. Once birds are accepted, they will be numbered with a leg band, assigned a pen number, and then weighed. If a youth is entering pen sign contest, please register at this time. If the hen makes weight, those dropping off birds are expected to move birds to their assigned pen, situate pens with feed, water, and pen sign. Volunteers will be present to assist with the process. Youth are encouraged but do not need to be present to drop off turkeys.
2025 Youth Market Turkey Show – October 9, 2025, 9 a.m.until finished
The show starts at 9:00 a.m. in the North Carolina State Fairgrounds Kelley Building. Youth must be present to show a turkey in a competitive class*
* If extenuating circumstances (must be verified) prohibits a youth from physically being able to show the bird (e.g., youth has broken arm), a sibling or youth of same age category may assist youth to show the bird. If extenuating circumstances (must be verified) prohibits a youth from being present at show and on site (e.g., illness), a sibling or youth may assist show bird on their behalf, but this bird/youth will be ineligible to win their class.
Volunteer at this year’s event. We need you!
Who can volunteer? Agents, colleagues, teachers, college students, ag advocates, youth (with supervision) – all are welcome; no experience is needed. Give back, support youth ag, and sign up today.
If you work a full day as a volunteer, you are eligible for a free ticket to the State Fair. Work 2 full days to receive a State Fair ticket and a YMTS t-shirt (shirt size must be chosen by 9/20 to be eligible).
2025 YMTS Pen Sign Contest



Acknowledgments
A special thanks to the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at NC State University for helping to make this event possible.
For additional information contact
Dr. Mary Fosnaught
E-mail: mhfosnau@ncsu.edu
Phone: +1 919.515.5529