I normally do.....sheboygan county fair at the end of august. I enter not only garden items, but preserves, and i use to enter decorated cakes ( i make wedding cakes as a part-tiome job)
I have won in years past a ribbon for largest pumpkin, cakes,zuchinni, and largest tomato. I have enter beans and etc but never won with them. I have a great year coming along with my garden, BUT (s-i-g-h) i think i missed the open class entry deadline ( figures) so i dont think i will get in this year anymore. it is fun and gives an excuse LOL to hang out at the fair 1 extra day to watch the judging :) also watching the juding, atleast here, you can learn alot from listening to the judges comments about entrys. One year i learned that the "groves" /"waves" in zuchinni were from ragged watering... Learned quite a bit more also.
Tina

Yup! Every year--Vilas County Fair in Eagle River, home of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby--

We enter veggies, flowers. I used to enter jams and jellies till I found out they don't taste 'em. Those jars could be filled with Kool-aid for all they know...

I agree that the judging can be educational. Imagine my surprise when a judge disqualified my Mixed Bouquet because it contained purple loosestrife (NOT! It was liatris, sigh).

Seriously, it's a good time--

My greatest triumphs have been Best of Show for my fresh raspberry display and Mixed Bouquet (different year than above :0).

i wanted to update, i did not miss the deadline! SO if anyone enters the Sheboygan county fair, deadline is august 1 2006!
I plan to enter my tomatos, beans, gourds and carrots.

Yayyy! Happy for ya, gardenquest :)

Good luck, and let us know how you fare!

Constance.

Whew--I'm back--almost two weeks without the computer! But the weather was too hot, and we were too busy with the fair in Portage last week.

So here are the results: my flowers were so-so. Had an awesome deep red dahlia that took 1st place, and had the only glads entered. They were just barely showing color, but the judge took pity on them probably because they were the only ones and still gave them a ribbon! (Of course THIS week I have all kinds of beatiful glads.) I also received a special merit on my felted purse, so I was tickled about that. But the best thing was my 15 year old son won a merit ribbon on the oak loft bed he built. Wish I had a digital camera so I should you how nice it is!

Becky

I've entered a few times, but now am so busy with the fair itself that I didn't manage to bring my entries the last two times. So, I am not going to enter anymore for now, but I am on the Fair Board and am in charge of Competitive Exhibits. I also grow about 30 large containers of flowers, this year cannas plus various annuals, to decorate around the outside of the Exhibit Hall building. I thought of bringing my vases and cutting form those containers, but just was so busy with all details of getting everybody else what they needed to manage their areas that I couldn't do it.

It is a lot of fun to enter, and you do learn a lot. One thing I did the last time I did bring things (and I brought back lots of ribbons that year,)was to cut my flowers the day before they had to be at the fair, put them in the fridge overnight which conditions them, (and leaves my family wondering where all the food went,)then arrange them the morning they had to be checked in at fair.

I also attend lots of other county fairs to see what they do, get ideas, and finally get a chance to enjoy a fair without having to be respnsible for anything :-)My husband loves the music, so we go on nights he can listen to a good band. My daughter and son enter their 4-H projects in our county fair. Daughter's clothing article was selected for State fair, and she received a merit ribbon on it at state too. :-)