Open Class entries in this year’s Stephens County Free Fair were down, and though numbers weren’t available, it was obvious to those who have been visiting the fair for years. It helped though, that the horticulture and 4-H exhibits were moved to the south side of the building where vendors and fine art entries were located. The place looked fuller because there was less space to occupy.
Yet the energy and upbeat attitudes of everyone, from volunteers behind the scenes to entrants, made this year just as exciting as it has ever been. It’s quite the social event. There were returning entrants and new people taking time to bring their handmade, hand crafted, baked and grown goods to the fair.
Whether you were someone who had been entering for years, or the first time, you had a chance to collect some ribbons for your efforts. That was the case for Ashley Broughton of Bray. Same for Kea McPherson, Dottie Williams, Linda Heilman and many others.
As long as you live in Stephens County – town or country – you could enter your items in the fair. Broughton was a first time fair entrant and she managed to get her canned preserves in right at the final minute Wednesday night. The next day, she discovered her jams and salsa had scored two ribbons in each category, Blue (1st), Red (2nd) and White (3rd).
“My Grandma and I used to visit the Fair to see the quilts. A very fond memory,” she said. “I only started canning a few months ago.
Self taught for the most part really but my Mom has helped me quite a bit in getting stuff canned. My Mammaw has given me a few pointers also.” She has been using a Ball book, which is considered the “blue ribbon” standard for home canning and preserving foods.
Broughton said winning really made her proud. Since venturing into canning, she’s even had requests. “I had someone request some cinnamon cucumber rings, kind of like cinnamon apples but with cucumbers instead of apples.
” She has three children and is already encouraging them to find an interest so they can enter their projects next year. “My daughter likes to sew, my older son likes to build things, and my youngest son is five and likes to help me.” As for quilting? “No, I don't quilt but appreciate the beauty and hard work that goes into making them!” Linda Heilman has been a Sunshine OHCE member since 2011.
Sunshine members and others volunteer and assist the general population with entering their pieces in the Open Class categories. And Sunshine members also have a chance to enter their own items. “I have entered something in the Fair every year, either in open class or in our required group entries,” she said.
“I have no idea how many ribbons I have received over the years. I really don't enter to receive a ribbon. The important thing to me is to just participate.
More entries make for a better Fair.” This year, she entered items in photography, crafts, quilts and baked goods. And just so everyone knows, she was not assigned to register entrants in any of those categories.
This was also the first time she entered a homemade lemon meringue pie in the Pie Show, which is one of the biggest interest categories and judging is an open spectator sport in its own right. Heilman said she received six ribbons out of seven entries this year. Though she didn’t elaborate, one of those was a photograph she took while on vacation.
It featured “pink flamingo cupcakes.” “When my granddaughters were younger, I always entered a dress or shorts set I had made for them. I usually have a quilt to enter and, quite often, a craft.
Plus, I enjoy entering photos. I love the County Fair. The thought for the day at our August group meetings was ‘The County Fair gives you a perfect taste of small town charm and hospitality,’ and that is so true! It's a very hectic and busy time for OHCE members but always so fulfilling.
I wish we could video all the OHCE members as they go about their specific duties and responsibilities. I think it would play like a perfectly choreographed dance.” Kea MacPherson has been entering her photographs in the Stephens County Free Fair for about six years.
She’s unsure of her total ribbon count, but she managed to claim eight this year in the Open Class Adult Division – four blue ribbons, and two each red, and white. MacPherson entered 11 photographs this year, in almost every category, with the exception of people. She prefers nature and non-moving subjects.
Her favorite subject to photograph is rain or dew drops and spiderwebs. A combination of a spider web covered in dew drops was one of her Blue Ribbon winners. Her other Blue Ribbon winners included an extremely detailed macro shot of tiny colorful blue wildflowers, a Roadrunner and a barn.
She said the hunt for the unusual and unique is what inspires her during her walks with her dog, Belle. “It’s not so much taking the picture, but finding the unusual. Looking for something that most people don’t take pics of.
A lot of my stuff is tiny, especially flowers, the tiniest flowers. And I just have this thing for raindrops, be it flowers or spiderwebs.” She shoots all her images with her Samsung phone.
She takes advantage of the zoom and macro settings, then further enhances when needed in editing mode. She admitted to feeling a little intimidated upon entering last year, and almost didn’t. But, she sends all her best photos to her sister who will tell her “that’s fair worthy!” MacPherson photographs anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 images a year, but then has to “go through all them!” She is always thinking ahead to the county fair when photographing and reviewing her images.
MacPherson also has advice for anyone who hasn’t tried. “I think they should. It’s a small competition and you win a little money (ribbon winners).
But they are all winners,” she said. Sue Smith, also an OHCE member and fair entrant won two Blue Ribbons and two Red Ribbons in the pie contest, also a 2nd place in fiber art, and a first for her handmade Kawandi in the OHCE booth entry. She said she also received two 3rd place ribbons in quilts and a 2nd place for a pillow.
“Everyone come and enter next year. So much to learn and appreciate from others ..
. and so much fun.” Jackie Neely, a well-known quilter, received the grand prize in the quilt division – a Best in Show ribbon.
She also won a 2nd place Red Ribbon for a butterfly on a sunflower photograph. Dottie Williams of Duncan entered three items this year, a handcrafted beaded, fringed cork western Boho purse in sewing totes and purses category, a small balsa wood kit model of a building featuring rolling marbles when you hand crank the mechanism in miscellaneous crafts (5th place), and a set of three Christmas photo ornaments. Her purse won a Blue Ribbon, and the Christmas ornaments received a Red Ribbon in the holiday class.
“This is my third time to enter. I’m not sure why I never did earlier because I love the fair and I made things all the time, sewing and crafts,” she said. Williams loves to sew, and made 10 western shirts for her husband and others for Christmas in the 1980s.
“My mother was an artist, oil painter and could sew very well. Her name was B.J.
Archer. The fair seems to bring back a lot of really good memories of growing up and family. Growing up in a small town, we entered everything we could and took animals.
My brothers and I would compete in the horse shows.” Now she enjoys just creating, participating and meeting others who share the same mindset. In fact, visit next year’s county fair and you’ll meet some of the most interesting people.
It really is the social event of the year. One thing all Open Class entrants agreed on, begin planning now if you are going to enter next year and if you have children, get them involved too..
