Exhibits
Family Exhibits
Agricultural
- Baked Goods
- Flowers and Plants
- Gourds and Herbs
- Honey
- Syrups
- Fruits
- Preserved Products
- Vegetables
- Largest Produce
- Eggs
Crafts
Category #1: Family Exhibits
A Family exhibit consists of a collection of Baked Goods, Crafts and/or Agricultural Products produced by a family over the past year. Judging weighted 40% quality, 40% arrangement and 20% quality
Class
- A Collection of crafts and/or agricultural products produced by a family over the past year, to cover a 3×5 foot table.
Category #2: Baked Goods Exhibits
Recipe must accompany all entries. No package mixes to be used. Entry must be wrapped in a plastic bag. Items which cannot be transferred must be entered wrapped in plastic, on a plain white plate. Baked goods may be tasted during judging.
Judging weighted 40% flavor, 30% texture and 30% appearance.
Class
- 4 Yeast baked goods, any (includes coffee cake, rolls, bread)
- Quick Bread, any (includes banana, corn, cranberry, nut, etc.)
- 4 Muffins
- 4 Doughnuts
- 4 Biscuits
- 6 cookies, any (includes dropped and rolled)
- 4 Brownies
- Cake, any
- 4 Cupcakes, any
- Decorated Cake or Cupcake, any (judged for artistic appearance)
- Homemade candy – 1/2 lb minimum
- Pies, any
Category #3: Flowers and Plants
Flowers, except in arrangements, must be grown, selected and arranged by the exhibitor. Appropriate containers are to be furnished by the exhibitor.
Class – Cut Flowers
To be judged for horticultural perfection. Should include sufficient stem and foliage when practical.
Judging weighted 50% quality of flowers and vegetation and 50% arrangement.
- Any cut flowers cultivated and arranged by exhibitor in container furnished by exhibitor
Class – Arrangements
May contain flowers (fresh or dried), fruits, berries, vegetables, vines and/or foliage. Components do not need to be grown by exhibitor.
- Arrangement, any size
- Holiday arrangement – may be any holiday or personal celebration day, e.g., birthday
- Wreath
Class – House Plants (grown in pot)
- Flowering plant, any (upright or hanging)
- Foliage plant, any (upright of hanging)
- Terrarium or Dish garden
- Bonsai
- Other
Category #4: Gourds and Herbs Exhibits
All gourds must be grown, selected and arranged by the exhibitor. Judging weighted 50% quality of produce and 50% presentation.
Class
- Display of gourds (at least 5 different kinds)
- Display of dried herbs (at least 5 different kinds)
- Display of potted herbs (at least 5 different kinds)
- Display of fresh herbs (3 or more)
Category #5: Honey Exhibits
All entries must be produced in Massachusetts by bees owned by the exhibitor. All honey must be placed in leak-proof, bee-tight containers. No labels or identification on any entry until judged.
Judging weighted 40% presentation, 30% uniformity of color, 30% clarity.
Class
- Honey, comb – 2 standard sections
- Honey, strained – 2 jars
Category #6: Syrup Exhibits
Judging weighted 50% uniformity of color and 50% presentation.
Class
- Maple Syrup – 2 jars
- Fruit Syrup – 2 jars
Category #7: Fruit Exhibits
All fruit must be grown, selected and arranged by the exhibitor. Variety name should be listed. Only one entry allowed in a class by an exhibitor. Fruit may be washed but NOT polished. Berry entries must be registered on Friday but may be brought in before 8:30am on the day of the fair.
Judging weighted 50% quality, 30% uniformity and 20% size.
Class
- Display of at least 6 kinds of fruit covering 3 ft x 3 ft. Score card: Quality 50%, Arrangement 30%, Utility value 10%, Number of varieties 10%
- Arrangement of fruit – at least 5 kinds attractively arranged in an appropriate container (not paper plate). Score card: Same as above.
- 5 Apples, any named variety (state the names on your entry paper)
- 10 Crabapples
- 5 Pears, any named variety (state the names on your entry paper)
- 5 Peaches, any named variety (ditto)
- 10 Plums, any named variety (ditto)
- Grapes – 3 clusters, any named variety (ditto)
- Small fruits, 1 pint box – to be classified according to judge’s discretion
- Any other fruit (state the name/s on your entry paper)
Category #8: Preserved Products Exhibits
All products, including jam and jelly, shall be sealed by processing hot water bath for fruit and tomatoes, pressure for vegetables and meats (following current USDA standards/procedures). Each entry should be of the standard commercial canning jar size and type. Screw top should be removed. All jars must be uniformly labeled including product and month and year processed. Labels must not identify the entrant. Preference will be given to practical packs rather than fancy packs.
Judging weighted 50% quality, 40% workmanship, 10% labeling..
Class – Collections
- 3 jars canned vegetables – 1 jar each of 3 kinds
- 3 jars canned fruit – 1 jar each of 3 kinds
- 3 jars jelly – 1 jar each of 3 kinds
- 3 jars jam – 1 jar each of 3 kinds
Class – Vegetables – 2 jars
- Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Beans, any variety or color)
- Carrots
- Greens
- Corn
- Pickles, any
- Relish, any
- Any other product
Class – Fruits – 2 jars
- Fruits, any
- Applesauce
Class – Jelly and Jam
2 jars same variety, not less than 4 oz.
- Jelly, all varieties
- Jam, all varieties
Category #9: Vegetable Exhibits
All vegetables must be grown, selected, washed (except potatoes) and arranged by the exhibitor. Entries for class 1 and 2 do not use paper plates. Entries for other classes should be displayed on paper plates. Root crops must have ½ inch of stems left on.
Judging weighted 50% quality, 30% uniformity, 20% size.
Class
- Display of at least 6 kinds of fresh vegetables from home garden 3 ft x 3 ft. Score Card: Quality 50%, Arrangement 30%, Utility Value 10%, Number of kind, 10%.
- Display of at least 5 kinds of fresh, home grown vegetables arranged in an appropriate container. Score card: Same as above.
- 5 pods beans, any variety or colors
- 5 beets
- 2 heads cabbage
- 5 carrots
- 2 heads cauliflower
- 2 bunches celery
- 5 ears sweet corn – husks on
- Cucumbers, any (includes salad and pickling)
- 2 eggplants
- 2 muskmelons – ripe
- 5 onions
- 5 parsnips
- 5 peppers, any variety or color
- 5 hot peppers, any variety or color
- 5 potatoes
- 2 pumpkins, any (includes sugar and field types)
- 2 summer squash, any variety or color
- 2 butternut squash, any variety
- 2 any other winter squash, any variety or color
- 5 slicing ripe tomatoes, any variety or color – stems on
- 5 slicing unripe tomatoes, any variety or color – stems on
- 5 ripe tomatoes, plum/sauce – stems on
- 10 cherry tomatoes, any variety or color (includes pear, grape and cherry – stems on)
- 5 turnips or rutabagas
- 2 watermelons
- 5 ears ornamental corn – husked
- Any other 2, 5, 10 or 15 specimens, depending on size
Category #10: Largest Produce Contest
Bring us the largest/tallest of your homegrown items in the categories below. Only one entry per exhibitor in each class.
Class
- Tallest Corn stalk
- Tallest Sunflower stalk
- Tallest Tomato plant
- Largest Sunflower
- Largest Pumpkin
- Largest Squash
- Largest Potato
- Other
Category #11: Eggs
Judging weighted 50% quality, 40% uniformity, 10% size.
Class
- 1 dozen eggs
Category #12: Art & Crafts Exhibits
Judging weighted 40% artistic effect, 30% craftsmanship, 20% creativity and 10% composition.
Class
- Painting, all mediums (includes oil, acrylic and watercolor)
- Portraits/figures (all mediums)
- Drawing, all mediums (includes charcoal, pastel, pencil, etc.)
- Printmaking, silkscreen, woodcut, linocut, lithograph, etching
- Graphics, poster design, calligraphy, storybook illustration
- Sculpture, clay, wood, stone/plaster, papier maché
- Ceramics and pottery
- Glass craft
- Macrame
- Jewelry
- Collage/3-D mixed media/decoupage
- Paper craft, cutouts, origami, masks, stenciled craft
- Photograph – Color
- Photograph – Black and White
- Metalwork
- Artificial flower (silk or paper) arrangement
- Unclassified, excluding above
Category #13: Needlework Exhibits
Judging weighted 40% craftsmanship, 30% design, 20% difficulty, and 10% condition of article.
Class
- Afghan
- Baby Set
- Crocheted table cloth/set
- Other crocheted article, any size
- Embroidery
- Crewel
- Needlepoint
- Counted cross stitch
- Knitted article, any size
- Quilts, any (includes hand stitched, machine stitched)
- Rug, any (includes braided, hooked or latched)
- Latch hooked rug
- Child’s dress
- Adult’s dress
- Apron
- Costume
- Any other garment
- Any other needlework
- Collection of needlework (at least 3 techniques
Category #14: Hobby Exhibits
Judging weighted 50% quality, 30% originality, 20% arrangement.
Class
- Creative (at least 3 articles)
- Collection (at least 5 articles)
- Other
Category #15: Community Photo Contest
Any photograph taken in Acton or Boxborough within the last 12 months, black and white or color. Minimum size must be 5 in. x 7 in., maximum size 8 in. x 10 in. Photographs must be mounted or matted for display, ready to hang. Photos will be judged People’s Choice with a $20 cash First prize for adult and for child entries.
Class
- Community Photo