Garland County Fair time is just around the corner! Right now, lots of 4-H youths are working with and preparing their animals for the fair. They are carefully monitoring whether they are eating properly and staying hydrated. The kids are measuring out feed quantities and exercising their animals so that will be the best in its class. Hours will be spent feeding, cleaning stalls, and handling the animals to have them ready for the show ring by the September event.
What if a young person doesn't show livestock? What if they live in an area where livestock is not allowed or maybe they do not have room for raising a livestock project? There is a place and an event for every youth who would like to participate in the fair!
In the Youth Baked Goods Department, a young person can enter cookies, cakes, yeast bread, quick bread, pies, and candy such as caramels, fudge, divinity, brittle, and many others! Perhaps Food Preservation is more suitable for the youth's taste. They can enter preserved foods of all varieties -- vegetables, fruits, jams, jellies and pickles. Herbs and dried foods can be entered as well as honey. 4-H'ers that attended our canning day camp can enter their grape jelly, strawberry jam, and salsa that they made.
Maybe cooking isn't a young person's best asset. How about sewing? Youths can enter items they construct. 4-H'ers that attended our sewing day camp can enter their aprons and mug rugs as well as the other projects they sewed. Some of the options for entries are household linens, infant clothing, youth wear, dolls, animals, or toys with handmade clothing, and decorated or embellished clothing, handbags, or tote bags. Along with embellished constructed items, youths can embellish purchased clothing, linens, and accessories, too. A quilt division is also offered for the youths of Garland County. Youths can also submit items they have knitted, crocheted, cross-stitched, embroidered, or woven.
Craft is another area for youths to participate in the fair. Entry possibilities are macramé, rugs, basketry, weaving, wood burning and wood carving, ceramics, wreaths, flowers, arrangements, potpourri, flowerpots, and holiday crafts.
Youths can also participate in fine arts and photography. The fine arts possibilities include many different modes of painting, drawing, and pastels. Photography includes color and/or black and white photos of just about anything. Youth participants can also write poetry and short stories.
Youth horticulture is also another area of competition. Youths can submit plants, floral arrangements, and garden and farm products. Don't forget to submit your giant pumpkins and giant watermelons!
Kids can take advantage of the talent show! Categories include vocal solo, vocal group, dance solo, dance group, and instrumental solo and group. They can enter the Fair Queen Contest, Junior Miss, Princess, Little Miss, or Tiny Tot contests.
The Garland County Fair is a community endeavor. It is a time when the people of the county bring projects they have been working on -- whether it is animals, food, crafts, or plants -- to showcase. Fair time will be here Sept. 10-18. Don't miss out on a week of showcasing and celebrating the people of our county. Be sure to make plans to attend and support our Garland County youths as they compete.
The Fair Books will be available online at garlandcountyfair.com. Make plans to look at all the different entry possibilities and submit one or several entries. Don't forget to read all the important information for each different category. Entry forms are required for several of the different categories and deadlines for entries may vary. Make the most of the county fair and submit your entries to help make it the best one ever!
Master Gardener information
Master Gardener meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at the Elks Lodge. The meetings are open to the public, and guests are welcome. For more information, call the Extension office at 623-6841 or email Alex Dykes at [email protected].
EHC information
Are you interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For information on EHC, call 623-6841 or email Alison Crane, family and consumer sciences agent, at [email protected]. Follow Alison on Facebook @garlandEGF and @Garland FCS, and EHC on Facebook @GarlandCountyEHC.
4-H information
There are several 4-H Clubs for Garland County youths who are 5 to 19 years old. For information about Garland County 4-H Club membership or program benefits, contact Carol Ann McAfee at the Extension office, call 501-623-6841, or email [email protected]. More information is available at http://www.uaex.edu/garland.
ServSafe
The next ServSafe manager's certification classes are Aug. 31 and Sept. 2. Friday is the registration deadline. Contact the Extension office for details.
Garland County Fair
Chicken Testing for the Garland County Fair is Aug. 14.