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Nearly 30 Mini 4-Hers lined up at the Antique Machinery Barn to show off their pets in the Mini 4-H pet parade Sunday afternoon.

Ruth Honaker, 7, was a princess for a day, with her “My Princesses and Frogs” themed wagon packed full with her rabbit, Nicole, and three frogs, as well as her sisters Hannah Honaker, 4, and Mary Honaker, 1.

This is Ruth’s second year in Mini 4-H. She received her rabbit from the rabbit roundup at the fair last year.

She said she wanted to do the pet parade because it’s fun, and she enjoys being part of the 4-H program.

“(I like 4-H) because you get to do projects, and I went to Mini 4-H camp,” she said.

One part of Mini 4-H camp Ruth said she really liked was working on projects and getting tadpoles, which then grew into frogs that she pulled in her parade wagon.

She said in the future, she wants to continue 4-H and show animals, and hopefully someday it will help in her career.

“I want to be a vet someday,” Ruth said.

Angel Honaker, Ruth’s mom, said her and her husband Eric have six children, and three are in regular 4-H as well as Ruth in Mini 4-H.

Angel said she believes 4-H teaches character values.

“I think it helps develop character traits in them, leadership, responsibility and self-discipline,” she said.

Tiffany Eastman, mother to one of the pet parade participants, said she believes it being part of 4-H helps her son learn about responsibility. Chad and Tiffany Eastman are the parents of Cole Eastman, 8.

“I was in 4-H when I was younger. I wanted him to experience the 4-H lifestyle for responsibility purposes and to have fun,” Eastman said. “He’s enjoyed it.”

She said her son, Cole, has enjoyed being part of Mini 4-H, and entered in three different categories this year, including models, home furnishings and goat showmanship. His goat, Moo Moo, was the animal he paraded in Sunday’s Pet Parade.

Next year, Tiffany said, Cole will move up to regular 4-H, where he plans to show his goat as well as do projects.

Cole said he had to work with Moo Moo a day before the parade, as well as right before he showed the goat.

“I cleaned him, gave him a bath and dried him,” Cole said.

Before the showing, Cole said he would have to make Moo Moo’s horns shine and paint his hooves black.

He said he enjoys being involved in 4-H because “you can be in stuff and do a lot of stuff like builing Legos and making a pencil holder,” two of the projects he completed for this year.

Cole said he really likes his goat, even if Moo Moo is silly and stubborn at times.