Leon County Home and Garden Fair on July 4

Have you ever dreamed of winning a blue ribbon for the wonderful coconut pie you bake for your family on special occasions? Ever taken the cutest picture but there is no one to appreciate your talents? Here is your chance for well deserved recognition.

On Saturday, July 4th, in Centerville the Texas Agri- Life Extension Service will sponsor a Leon County Home and Garden Fair. The Fair is open to all residents of Leon County and those who go to school in Leon County. All exhibits must be the work of the contestant. There is a fee of $1.00 per item per adult and $.50 per item per youth.

Judging categories are: Pee Wee Division – ages 4-7; Junior Division ages 8 – 12; Senior Division ages 13 – 18; Adult Division – ages 19 and up; Exceptional Citizens – Classes will be created in all divisions as needed.

Divisions to be judged are: Division 1 – Sewing; this includes Casual, dressy, costumes, home décor, purses & accessories and miscellaneous (aprons, pillows, doll clothes, etc.) Fabric and pattern information must be attached to each item.

Division II – Photography: includes animals, people, plant/flora, still life, natural landscapes, flowers/ landscapes, architectural elements, special/creative effects, patriotic, and humor. Contestants may enter as many categories as they wish, however, they may submit only one photo per category.

Division III – Art: includes drawings in charcoal, pen & ink, pencil; paintings in oils and acrylics; paintings in pastels and watercolors; Elementary Art – age 4-12; and folk art. A contestant may have only one entry per class. All entries should be completed in the past year and not previously shown in this fair. Drawings and paintings must be prepared for hanging.

Division IV – Baked goods: includes yeast breads; quick breads; cookies; brownies & bar cookies; iced cakes; cakes not iced or glazed; decorated cakes; candies; creative baked goods from mixes; pies; miscellaneous and desserts made from honey. All entries must be made from scratch, except Class 9. A copy of the recipe must accompany the entry and no item requiring refrigeration will be accepted.

Division V – Food preservation: includes fruits; tomatoes; vegetables; jellies; preserves, jams and butters; sweet-type pickles; sour and dill pickles; other pickles (peach, beets, okra etc.) sauces and relishes; miscellaneous (dehydrated items, honey, soup etc.)

Division VI – Needlework and crafts: includes crochet and knitted bedspreads and afghans; crochet and knitted items; quilted items; decorated clothing; pillows; needlework; holiday accessories; wreaths and arranged flowers; toys; woodworking; ceramics; miscellaneous; scrapbooks. Two Best of Division winners will be chosen – one for needlework and one for crafts.

Division VII – Quilts: includes appliqué; piecework; pictorial; wall hanging; mixed media; hand quilted; machine quilted. Quilts of any size will be judged for the Leon County Home and Garden Fair. Quilts from kits, machine stitched or handmade will be accepted.

Division VIII – Horticulture: includes hanging basket foliage; hanging basket in bloom; potted foliage plants; potted plants in bloom; potted herbs. Plants must have been owned and raised by exhibitor for at least six weeks or longer before entry show date.

Division IX – Fruits and Vegetables: includes beans, beets, carrots, corn, cucumber (pickling), cucumber (slicing), eggplant, okra, onion, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, tomato (cluster), tomato (slicing), turnips, leafy vegetables, others; and mixed vegetable basket. Berries; melons; pitted fruits; other fruit; mixed fruit basket. Fruits and vegetables must be insect-free and have been grown by exhibitor for at least six weeks or longer before entry.

Division X – Recycled: There is only one class in this division. Items in the recycled division must be made from recycled materials.

All entries except baked goods and horticulture must be brought to the Fellowship Hall of the Centerville First United Methodist Church Thursday, July 2, 2009,between 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Baked goods and horticulture entries are to be brought between 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., Friday, July 3. All items will be judged beginning 11:00 a.m., Friday, July 3, 2009

So find something you love to do and take it to the Fair. For questions and more specifics contact Wendy Neyland at 903-536-2531.