Heads up: Deadline for Washington County Fair community competitions is Friday

Think you might be the best cook, crafter or gardener in your community? Prove it at the Washington County Fair.

There are three opportunities to show off your skills this year at the Washington County Fair: the culinary arts, creative hobbies and horticulture community competitions.

Professional exhibitors — defined as those who have sold items in the competition category, were paid to teach a class or are employed in the industry — are barred from entering, leaving space for the DIYers and home bakers of Washington County to win big.

Items entered in the competition must have been made, processed, grown or finished between August 2023 and July 2024, and will be judged using the Dutch system of judging which measures entries up against an established set of criteria, which are as follows:

Purple — Excellent. It is outstanding in all respects and needs no improvement.Blue — Exceeds all minimum criteria, but there may be a few minor areas of improvement.Red — Average. Met all minimum criteria but needs improvement.White — Failed to meet the minimum criteria and needs major improvement.

Winners will receive $10 for a purple ribbon, $8 for a blue ribbon, $6 for a red ribbon and no award for a white ribbon.

The deadline to enter into the competition is 4 p.m. Friday, July 12. More information about how to enter can be found in the Washington County Fair Community Competition Handbook .