Hog Days of Summer bring Blue Ribbons
Bacon biscuits? Beach Ball Art? Selfies? These are just a tiny sampling of the ways you can quench your creativity and have some fun entering the El Dorado County Fair’s many competitions. “We spent a lot of time this winter revising and updating the fair entry guide, adding some fun new competitions like Selfies and Snapshots” shared Jody Gray, Fair CEO. “Everyone uses their smart phones for pictures, we want them to enter those, and have fun with it.”
This year’s theme, “Hog Days of Summer,” June 18th-21st, is truly inspiring for entering your favorite projects and with Blue Ribbons and Prize Money for theme-based entries, who can resist?
Creating new fun categories like Decorating a Beach Ball, Parasol Art and Best Selfie was a labor of love for Gray and her staff. Incorporating the Hog Days of Summer theme into food entries is any cook’s dream, because everyone loves BACON! If you’ve never entered a fair before, this is the year to do it; earn bragging rights with your favorite BBQ sauce; watch the excitement on your children’s faces when they see the Blue Ribbon next to their project. Some categories have sponsors that provided generous awards, like El Dorado Disposal’s $25 award for the Ugliest Decorated Cake, and Master Food Preservers’ $25 award for Pickled Asparagus or a $25 gift certificate at Lofty Lou’s for best Knitted or Crocheted item. This is just a small sampling of the many cash awards offered.
Check out the entry guide and its endless possibilities, make sock puppets with your grandchildren, try your hand at food preserves, dried foods, quilting or even the Ugliest Decorated Cake! This year’s entry guide is available on our website, eldoradocountyfair.org . The fair office is also happy to print out sections for anyone that does not have access to a computer; it can also be accessed at the Placerville and South Lake Tahoe branch library.
Each day of the Fair those bringing in the Daily Special Contests get free fair entry—Thursday June 18th the competition is for Bacon Wrapped Appetizers, Friday is Bacon Dessert, Saturday is Bacon Candy and last, but definitely not least, Sunday June 21st bring in your favorite bacon cinnamon rolls. (Make sure and check the Entry Guide for times for the Daily Special contest).
To enter the fair, simply complete your entry form and bring or mail it to the fair office with the appropriate entry fee by 4pm on Wednesday, May 20th (to get discounted rate), then bring your entry to the fairgrounds the receiving day of the appropriate department (as listed in entry guide). If you lose track of time and miss the entry deadline, you may bring in your entry form with your entry, however the entry fees will be higher.
Then, make sure to bring your friends and family to the Hog Days of Summer, June 18th-21st at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville to show off your efforts. For more information, entry forms and pre-sale tickets, visit eldoradocountyfair.org or call the fair office at 530 621 5860.