San Mateo County Fair

[firecat]

I have a fondness for the San Mateo County Fair. Maybe it's because my folks both come from smallish Illinois farming towns but they raised me in a hoity-toity suburb and never took me to any county fairs and I'm seeking my true roots. This year I am considering entering some of my crocheting and/or jewelry in their "California Living" home crafts exhibition.

The entry categories are here:
http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/enter.html

I'm vastly amused by all the various categories for entries, especially in the foods section. Apparently people and companies can sponsor special categories. Someone sponsored a "most humorous quilt" category, and here's a category sponsored by a company called Monterey Mushroom:
DIVISION 541 - " CARB FRIENDLY " MUSHROOM DISH APPETIZER OR MAIN DISH

And then there's
DIVISION 548 - SPAM - SPAM - SPAM
All entries must use at least one can of Spam.

and
DIVISION 551 - KNIFE SHARPENING CONTEST
Criteria: 1. Objective bevel & consistency 2. Final edge ability to cut the following items: tomato, paper & carrot

[Update: Also, The Village People are performing the evening of August 20.] Spam and The Village People. Now that's America.

Comments

[pyrzqxgl.livejournal.com]

Have fun! I notice that the Santa Cruz County Fair added an "Ugly Cake" contest this year ... yikes! They're also featuring Lego movies as a "practice year ... no awards will be given" category -- I wonder if I should try that, though as the instructions/rules given don't totally make sense, I'll have to call someone about it.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Oh, enter, enter, enter! County fairs rock! I used to enter baked goods in our local fair, and the year I won an Honorable Mention ribbon I nearly swooned from giddy joy.

Maybe you could crochet a Spam cozy. (-:

Hm. Maybe I need to look up the rules for this year's and see what kind of textile divisions they have ... (-:

[leandra333.livejournal.com]

I have a fondness for that fair too. It is not as hot and crowded as our county fair in Pleasanton. I encourage you to enter your crochet. Good luck!

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many mushroom dish appetizers are carb-hostile.

androgynousmind claims to have great knife sharpening acumen and has offered to sharpen anybody's knives for free, because he just likes doing it.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

I entered our county fair this year and last. I don't know about yours, but at ours, the entry fee includes and admission ticket -- and the fee's a lot less than the ticket price, so it's a good bargain even if you don't win anything.

[firecat]

Did you win anything?

I thought that the entry fees for ours included an admission ticket, but I can't find any such info on the web site at the moment. We do have the option of purchasing a book of 10 tickets for half price though. Given how often I go to the fair every year that might be worth it.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

The first year, I got 3rd place for Jean-Luc Pooh-card. This year, my tank top didn't win anything.

[johno.livejournal.com]

chriso used to enter her chocolate chip cookies in the San Mateo County Fair.