Well, they have raffles and silent auctions sometimes. Buy tickets for the raffle and put them in the bags of the item you want. Or the silent auction you write in your price if it is higher than the one above your name and what you are willing to pay.
Most of the birds are put in their cages with the breed and gender and color variety so as you walk down the aisles of cages inside the building you can see many different breeds and colors of birds you may want and yearn for! Judging usually starts at 9 and runs through to about 2 pm, depending on number of entries. Best In Show will be picked last but a lot of exhibitors leave if their bird doesn't place. They get a jump on their evening chores. Some stick around to chat and congratulate the winners.
There should be a paper as you go in that shows a number beside an exhibitors name or a farm name. That number will be on the cage card, too. Sometimes you are lucky enough to over hear some great people talking about colors or type on the birds and can ask some quick questions about the birds.
Parking is usually free at the smaller shows. It is free to go in and look at the birds.
Exhibitors and breeders often have birds for sale out in the parking lot. Cages upon cages of birds in all shapes, colors, sizes and ages are often there.
After a judge goes down an aisle you can go back to see which in that breed won BV (Best Variety) or BB (Best of Breed) and see if it was your favorite in all of them. All the ones that win BB will go up against each other to see who gets BIS (Best In Show).
There are probably others here that can tell you more but I am off to eat supper and take my shower so I can hit the hay. When you rise with the birds, you have to bunk down when they do.
(Oh, gosh, I think I just gave Robert some ammunition!)
