What is the Youth Market Turkey Show?
The Youth Market Turkey Show is an opportunity for youth to raise and show a market turkey at the N.C. State Fair.
The competition is open to any NC youth between the ages of 5 and 18 on Jan. 1st who will be in grades K-12 on the day of the show. The youth will register in March, pay a $35* entrance fee, complete their Showorks & W-9 registration forms, and submit a waiver to be eligible to pick up three poults at the university in June. From this point, youth will rear their birds at home and bring back their best market turkey to the N.C. State Fair show in October.
Senior exhibitors at the 2025 Youth Market Turkey Show
YMTS Registration - Opens March 3, 2026
Registration will open on March 3, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. for the 2026 North Carolina State Fair Youth Market Turkey Show (YMTS) in ShoWorks. Important YMTS dates include: Poult Pickup: Jun 21-23, Weigh-in Oct. 7, 9-4, and Show Day, Oct. 8, 9-3. Youth ages 5-18 years old as of Jan. 1st are eligible to register, and they do not have to be affiliated with 4-H or FFA to enter. Note that the registration fee has increased to $35/youth (from $30 in the previous year). Please refer to the YMTS Registration Process Quickstart Guide for more details on completing registration. Instructions from quickstart guide are provided below:
Before Mar 3rd:
- Prepare NC Substitute W-9 (using the provided guidelines), Sign (any digital signature is acceptable), Save as pdf with Participant First & Last Name, Upload (no photos), and have at the ready to Load into ShoWorks Registration on Mar 3rd, 2026. (W-9 is needed so the state can issue each youth a Premium Check after the sale of their bird.)
- Gather Youth Participant Info: Full Legal Name (on SSN), Age as of Jan 1, Address, County, T-shirt Size (Youth (Y): YS, YM, YL, Adult (A): AS, AM, AL, AXL, A2X, A3X, A4X), & # years in YMTS.
- Gather Contact Information for the Individual completing the Application: Name, Email, and Cell Number (in case of questions)
- Gather Account Names and Passwords (each individual participant needs one - no family accounts this year) that are intended to be used to create the ShoWorks Account
- Confirm the Credit Card (the only payment option) that will be used to pay the $35 Registration Fee (unless you are an agent who made prearrangements for group pay by check)
- Sign and upload Code of ethics, waiver, and photo release document
On Mar 3rd at 9 a.m. - ShoWorks REGISTRATION OPENS at ncsfge.fairwire.com
*Have all items from above (1-6) available to complete registration
*Open webpage: ncsfge.fairwire.com
- Create a ShoWorks Account for each participant - even for family members
- A possible strategy for creating accounts and passwords for a group is to use individual email addresses and the same password for each participant
- Record this account name & password - will be used for other General & 4-H Entry Accounts (Livestock entries will require a new account name and password)
- Complete Registration, Pay Fee, Upload NC Sub W-9, and submit waiver documents.
*Your confirmation receipt should indicate paid.
*Save the digital confirmation from ShoWorks for your records. If you did not get a confirmation email, go into the ShoWorks account, in the upper right corner, it says hello, 'participant name'; hit past transactions, and on gray button on left with link to receipt. If you are one of 1st 300 with completed registrations, then you did a 'Turk'riffic Job & are registered for 2026 YMTS!
Get Ready for Poult Pickup Signup Sheets to come out by email on Jun 1, 2026, to schedule a pickup date and time during Jun 21-23, 2026
Questions regarding ShoWorks on Mar 3, 2026, can be directed to the North Carolina State Fair General Entry Staff of Ruth Toole (ruth.toole@ncagr.gov), Cheryl Jenkins (cheryl.jenkins@ncagr.gov), or Carol Grant (carol.grant@ncagr.gov). Show questions can be directed to Mary_Fosnaught@ncsu.edu.
Acknowledgments
A special thanks to the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at NC State University for helping to make this event possible.Thank you to our 2025 YMTS Sponsors: Rabobank, RVR Loonbedrijf, Farm Bureau Richmond, and Prestage Dept of Poultry Science. Thank you to our 2025 YMTS Donors: Cheerwine and Carolina Kettle.
YMTS T-Shirt Design Contest
This contest is closed for 2026. Thank you to all participants!
Our winners are:
1st place: Jamara Oliver
2nd place: Dahlia Kuchta
3rd place: Ethan Wagner
4th place: Sam Mastrogiannis
5th place: Evelyn Bordeaux
Special 250th USA Anniversary design: Geneva Garrison
Open to all youth ages 5-18 years old. Anyone can enter; you do not have to be affiliated with 4-H or FFA to enter.
Designs are to promote youth, turkeys, North Carolina, and/or the N.C. State Fair. Preference will be given to designs that can incorporate all contestants’ last names. Preference will also be given for hand-drawn or digitally created original artwork. A photo of the design/artwork is acceptable.
Additional notes: Teams can submit a design, but only one award is given. All participants will receive a participation certificate.
Email mhfosnau@ncsu.edu regarding any questions or concerns.
Winner of the 2026 YMTS t-shirt contest, Jamara Oliver, with her design.
Congratulations to our past t-shirt Design Winners:
2025 YMTS t-shirt Design winners: Reagan & Avery Pierce, Vance County
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
For additional information, contact
Dr. Mary Fosnaught
E-mail: mhfosnau@ncsu.edu Phone: +1 919.515.5529
