Excitement is building for the 2014 Hopkins County Fall Festival. I want to tell you about three exciting events that will take place on October 24 and 25, starting with the Creative Arts Contest. This contest, held in the Sulphur Springs High School Conference Center, is open only to Hopkins County residents due to space limitations, but we always have an excellent showing! Here are the guidelines:
1) Participants may enter as many divisions as desired, but only one item per class.
2) Entry fee is $1 per person.
3) Items entered for judging must have been made within the past twelve months.
4) Entries may be taken directly to the Sulphur Springs High School Conference Center on Thursday, October 23, between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m., or Friday, October 24, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. If you are not able to make either of those date, entries will be accepted at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W., Houston Street, Monday, October 20 thru Wednesday, October 22, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
5) Age divisions are: Children (up to age 10); Youth (ages 11-19); Adults (ages 20-69); Older Texans (70 & above); nursing home/assisted living residents.
6) Entries must be labeled using the required label, available at registration.
7) Entries will be judged Friday, October 24, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
8) Items will be on display to the public Friday afternoon, October 24 from approximately 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Check-out begins at 1:45 p.m., Saturday, October 25. Please leave items until this time so visitors can enjoy viewing them. All items not picked up will be taken to the Extension Office.
9) Purple Rosette winners will have pictures made at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 25 in the High School Conference Center. Please come if your entry has a dark or light purple rosette!
10) No professional exhibits allowed due to space limitations.
There is a category for anything you want to enter! See the list below:
I. Clothing: classic/casual; after-five; children’s wear; specialty; wearable art
II. Food Preservation: vegetables; fruits; preserves; fruit butters; jellies; pickles; relish; pickled vegetables; dehydrated foods; miscellaneous
III. Bake Show: breads; cakes; pies; cookies; candy (will be sampled by judges)
IV. Decorated Cakes (will not be cut – judged on appearance)
V. Handiwork: knitting; crochet; embroidery; needlepoint; sewn items; beadwork; beaded jewelry; miscellaneous
VI. Holiday/Seasonal: Christmas decorations; tablecloths; decorations (other holidays); wreath/door hanging; nativity scenes
VII. Creative Crafts: Plastics, candles, leather, metal; ceramics; stained glass; painted accessories; miscellaneous
VIII. Art: oil; water color; pen & ink; rub outs; pencil; acrylic; paper tole; crayon; spray paint; miscellaneous
IX. Scrapbooks: seasonal; collective; memorabilia
X. Photography: portrait; scenic; still life; animals; people; special effects; floral; architectural; grouping (black & white or color in each class)
XI. Quilts: hand quilted; machine quilted; hand/machine combination; baby quilts; quilted items
XII. Dolls: open; cloth dolls; doll costumes
XIII. Horticulture (must be in exhibitor’s possession three months prior to fair – exhibitor is responsible for upkeep of their entry during the fair): agricultural produce; cut flowers; potted plants; hanging baskets; succulents; dried; gourds; herbs
XIV. Woodworking: kits; inlaid wood; mosaic wood art; furniture; wall hangings/crosses; wood carving; yard art; rustic art (items made from barn wood, tree limbs or trunks)
XV. Nursing home/assisted living division (judged separately): holiday; quilts (individual or group); plastic art; handmade garments; needlework; leather/metal craft; wood craft; art, weaving, miscellaneous.
For full descriptions and guidelines for each category, come by the Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, or go to http://hopkins.agrilife.org and click on publications. We are expecting a great turn-out this year!
Fall Festival Arts & Crafts Show
Don’t get confused! This is a totally separate event from the Creative Arts Contest! The Arts & Crafts Show is your opportunity to shop for that one-of-a-kind hand-crafted item! The Sulphur Springs High School Cafeteria, north entry, and bus lane will be teaming with artisans featuring hand-crafted wares. Here is a sampling of things you will see: wooden yard art, jewelry, baby items, doll clothes, hand-crafted walking sticks, fashion scarves, quilted items, Christmas decorations, autumn decorations, hand-crafted greeting cards/trinket holders, picture frames, hair accessories, glass yard art, blankets, decorated caps, wall-hangings, pet accessories, stuffed animals, potato bakers, purses, kitchen accessories, crocheted items, yo-yo quilts, pillow case dresses, sand art, birdhouses, floral arrangements, piggy banks, wooden toys, children’s clothing, gourd art, tin totes, lighted glass blocks, wind chimes, coloring book bags, glitter art, hand-painted wooden signs, candles, pottery, and more!
The Arts & Crafts Show will be open to the public on Friday, October 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Saturday, October 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is always a highlight of the Fall Festival – don’t miss it!!
Dinner Tonight Cooking Demonstrations
New this year, the Dinner Tonight Cooking Demonstrations will take place in the Civic Center Auditorium foyer on Saturday, October 25. At 10:00 a.m., I will be demonstrating Beef & Black Bean Chili, followed at 11:00 a.m. by Angie Monk, demonstrating Crunchy Chicken Salad. At 12:00 noon, Mary Sue Cole will demonstrate Strawberry Cheesecake Tarts, followed at 1:00 p.m. by Denita Young, demonstrating Asian Lettuce Wraps. The team will wind up demonstrations at 2:00 p.m. with Quick Fix Bruschetta. Come to one, or come to all! Drawing for a Kitchen Aid Mixer will take place at 3:00 p.m. Contact my office for more details on this exciting new feature!
Closing Thought
Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul – Democritus
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
