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Display Your Talents at Washington County Fair
By Bill brown
The Washington County Fair provides county residents with an opportunity to display their skills, show off accomplishments from the past year and to be recognized for outstanding work.
Just about any craft, art, skill, or interest can be displayed at the fair, Aug. 8-11. There are categories for woodworking, drawing, painting, canning, quilting, horticulture, fruits and vegetables and just about everything in between.
The Washington County Fair Premium Book outlines all the categories available for submission and what the requirements are for each category, said Sheila Dutton, coordinator for the literary contest. An electronic copy of the Premium Book is available at the Washington County Fair Web site, www.washcofair.net.
“In the literary contest, there are two categories, poetry and prose,” Dutton said. “Within each category, there are two classes.” The first class, she said, is based on the theme of the fair, “Out of this world,” and everything else is put into the second category. Each category is grouped by age and professional writing status, for purposes of facilitating judging.
Odette Nisson, chairperson for the home arts division, said exhibitors are limited to entering only two items into each class. For example, she said, in the sewing category, there are eight classes, ranging from formal wear to dolls, games and toys. Exhibitors may submit two entries in each of the eight classes, for a total of 16 entries in the sewing division, she said. According to the Premium book, other categories within the home arts divisions include quilting, needlework, crafts, and baked and canned goods.
“Basically, (home arts) is anything that has to do with the home,” Nisson said.
There are special requirements for entries in some of the classes, Nisson said. For example, counted cross stitch needs to be mounted, and all projects need to be finished and secure. Entries for some categories can be submitted as early as Saturday, Aug. 4, she said. Others, like baking, can be submitted only between 8 and 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 8. This is to ensure the entry is at its freshest when it is judged.
All the requirements for submitting entries for the different categories and classes are clearly laid out in the Premium Book, Nisson said.
All items submitted for judging at the fair must have been completed after August 2006 in order to be considered for a prize. If items were completed before August 2006 or were entered into a previous county fair, they can be used for display purposes only, not for judging, she said.
All forms of fine art, including but not limited to drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculptures and photography, can be submitted for judging at the Washington County Fair, David Jeffery, chairman of the fine arts division, said. The works need to be originals, created by the exhibitor within the last three years, and never submitted to the fair previously. He also said paint-by-number and emboss-by-number works are not acceptable.
“Basically, all works need to be original creations,” he said. “Nothing that came from a kit.”
All paintings, drawings, photographs and the like need to be ready to mount on pegboard when delivered to the fairgrounds, Jeffery said. They need to have the two eyes and wire already strung on the back so they can be hung as soon as possible. Sculptures need to be able to stand on their own, he said, and not require something to support them.
He also stressed this is a county fair and a family-oriented event. He said depictions of killing, nudity, and occult activity will not be allowed.
Fine arts works can be dropped off Monday Aug. 6, between 8 a.m. and 8p.m., he said. After the fair is over, exhibitors can pick up the pieces of art the morning of Aug. 13.
He said he hopes everyone comes out and submits something they created and would like to display.
Pam Gubler, chairperson for the fruits and vegetables division, said following the instructions in the back of the Premium Book and filling out their pre-registration form makes it very easy for exhibitors to submit their entries.
After the fair, Gubler said, all the fruits and vegetables that are still good and have not been collected by their exhibitors will be given to the Dixie Care and Share. She said if exhibitors want to donate their entries to the Dixie Care and Share after the fair, it would help her out if they could mark that somewhere on their entry forms.
Dutton said not everyone writes poetry or prose, but there are many opportunities to submit projects of just about any type. She encourages everyone to pick up one of the Premium Books, available in just about any store in Washington County, she said, and see how they can get involved.
“I like to go through (the Premium Book) each year, and see if there is anything I have done this year that I can submit,” Dutton said. “I think there is something in there for everybody.” 

The Washington County Fair is Aug. 8-11, at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Information on the schedule and an electronic copy of the Premium Book are available at the Washington County Fair Web site, www.washcofair.net. For more information about submitting items for the fair, you can also contact the individuals in charge of the various divisions. Their contact information is available on the Web site and in the Premium Book.

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