All across the country, county fair season is winding up!  The summertime is when counties invite their residents to submit everything from chickens to crafts to be judged and the winners given ribbons, and sometimes cash prizes.  (And in my county, a $2 discount off the price of a fair ticket!)

I think it's safe to say that every crafter in the United States lives within the range of a county fair.  (The only exception I've found so far is residents of New York City, who would probably have to submit their entries to the state fair instead.)

So why should you enter?

1.    It's Inclusive!

All kinds of crafts are represented at county fairs.  The fair in my county has a division for every craft you can imagine, including beading, bookbinding, crafting with recycled or sustainable materials, wood carving, scrapbooking, and more.  Whatever craft is your passion, there's probably a way you can enter it into competition!

2.    Improve Your Skills

It may already be too late to start working on something for the fair. That's okay - it gives you time to think about next year!  What project would you like to enter, that would really "wow" the judges?  What skills do you need to improve or perfect in order to give it the extra oomph it needs to out-shine the competition?

All too often we tend to rest on our laurels.  As crafters we sometimes rely on "good enough" as a metric.  Just knowing that you will be submitting your piece to knowledgeable judges can be enough to focus your attention and improve your skills.  I know that for myself, I have become much sharper of eye while knitting.  And I learned some great tricks for weaving in ends!

3.    The County Fair Is A Great Place To Start

Typically the winners of the county fair will all go on to compete against each other in the state fair.  This means that the state fair is the "big time," while the county fair offers a lot less pressure.  

You will be competing against a smaller pool of people (only the residents of your county - instead of the residents of your entire state).  And for all of these reasons, typically you will be competing against people who frankly aren't as good as what you'll find at the state fair.

Heck, here in Washington we have some amazing knitting that gets entered into the state fair.  But the blue ribbon winner in my county fair last year was a cabled sweater  which, according to the judges' notes, had mis-matched cables, and buttons that didn't match up with the button holes.  

4.    Increase Your Confidence

I'm surprised by how many crafters are sheepish about their crafts.  Well you know what?  You shouldn't be!  You work hard at your crafts, and let me tell you, they're a lot better than you probably think.  You'll get a confidence boost just by promising yourself that your handiwork is good enough to enter in the county fair.  (And it totally is, by the way!)

5.    Funnel Cakes

'Nuff said!  Do you need an excuse to visit the fair and eat fried food on a stick?  Then "I want to check out the competition" is a great reason!

Photo credit: L.A. County Fair, Flickr/Omar Omar