County Fair contests "so much fun"

The Mississippi County Fair begins next week at the fairgrounds in Blytheville, and Mrs. Nell Johnson is gearing up to enter items in fair contests for the 50th time.

Over the years, she has entered everything from her children's artwork to flowers grown in her garden and samples of her cooking, and this year is no exception.

"This year I'm doing Christmas arrangements, some other holiday arrangements, cooking, flowers, heirloom items and one collection," she said. "You can enter just about anything you have, and it's a way to be creative. It's so much fun, and it's open to everyone."

Johnson first began entering fair contests when her children were young and a friend at church invited her to enter some of their artwork, along with some of her own. Since then, she has won more than 1,600 ribbons, and she thinks that the fair competitions have something for everyone.

"It's fun to pick something out in all the different departments [that the fair judges] and see what you could enter," she said. "We need to encourage others to participate in the fair because it's a good thing for our community, and it encourages people to be creative, even children. And it's just fun to participate. even if you don't win."

This year the fair will run from Tuesday, Aug. 21 to Saturday, Aug. 25. The exhibits and contest portion of the fair will run concurrently with the carnival, petting zoo and demolition derby event.

Adults can enter items to be judged in the a wide variety of categories: household linen, photography, holiday crafts, field crops, arts and crafts, baby photos, home gardening, cooking, canning, collections, quilts, woodworking, art, knit and crochet, heirlooms, clothing, flowers, and livestock.

Children can also enter similar items in the youth division: livestock, clothing, education, cooking, holiday crafts, special projects, home canning, field crops, art, flowers, home gardening, handicrafts, and photography.

Any exhibits being entered in the contests should be brought to the Missouri Street entrance to the fairgrounds exhibit hall between noon and 5 p.m. Monday, with the exception of cooking and flower entries, which must be checked in between 8 and 10 a.m. Tuesday. There is no fee to enter, but all entrants must be residents of Mississippi County, and all items entered must be the handiwork of the entrant and must have been made within the last year, unless otherwise specified.

For more information, contact the fair office, which will be open starting at 10 a.m. during each day of the fair, at 870-763-1293.

sharris@blythevillecourier.com