Exhibit Hall Categories & Guidelines
All exhibits must be made or produced by the exhibitor and must be dropped off on Thursday of Fair weekend between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Judging takes place Thursday evening and Friday morning before the Exhibit Hall officially opens to the public.
The Hall Exhibits are a longtime tradition of the Sterling Fair and showcase the creativity, talent, and hard work of our community. From homemade baked goods and canned preserves to photography, crafts, flowers, vegetables, quilting, and more, the Exhibit Hall offers something for everyone to enjoy.
How to Enter Your Exhibit
We encourage everyone to participate and help continue the proud agricultural and community traditions of the Sterling Fair.
Make it Yourself
Every exhibit must be created, grown, baked, crafted, or produced by the exhibitor.
Drop Off Thursday 9/10
Drop off exhibits between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Thursday of Fair weekend.
Let the Judges Decide
Judging takes place Thursday evening before the Exhibit Hall opens to visitors.
Pick Up
Exhibit Hall entries can be picked up on Sunday by 4pm. Items not picked up or accounted for will be auctioned off at 4:15pm
Exhibit Hall Categories
We have something for everyone. More information can be found in the Exhibit Hall Guidebook.
Baked Goods and Pies
Think your apple pie is fair-worthy? Bring your best homemade pie and let the judges decide. Open to adults and youth.
Art
Show off your creativity with paintings, drawings, portraits, posters, calligraphy, and more. Junior entries are welcome and judged by age group.
Handicrafts
From pottery and jewelry to paper crafts, collage, sculpture, and mixed media, this category is perfect for handmade creative projects.
Baked Goods
Calling all bakers! Enter breads, muffins, cakes, pies, brownies, cookies, candy, and other scratch-made favorites.
Childrenās Pumpkin Decorating
Kids ages 1ā12 can decorate a pumpkin any way they like. No carving required ā just creativity and fun.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bake your best half dozen chocolate chip cookies from scratch and enter this classic fair favorite.
Field Crops
Show off what youāve grown, including hay, corn, mangels, and other field crop entries.
Conservation
A great junior category for nature lovers. Enter birdhouses, fairy houses, leaf collections, rocks, shells, insects, and more.
Eggs
Have backyard hens? Bring your best dozen eggs and enter them for judging.
Domestic Crafts
Enter handmade items like woodworking, baskets, wreaths, metal crafts, painted shirts, toys, and other home crafts.
Flowers
Bring your best blooms, plants, herbs, wreaths, or floral arrangements. Entries are judged on beauty, condition, creativity, and presentation.
Honey
Local beekeepers can enter honey, comb, beeswax articles, candles, or molded beeswax creations.
Vegetables
Proud of your garden? Enter your best vegetables, from tomatoes and peppers to pumpkins, squash, beans, carrots, and more.
LEGO
Kids 18 and younger can build an original LEGO creation. Entries must fit within the size limit and are judged on creativity and originality.
Fruits
Enter your best homegrown apples, pears, peaches, berries, grapes, plums, or other fruit.
Needle Art
Showcase detailed handwork like embroidery, needlepoint, weaving, hooked rugs, punchneedle, and other fancy articles.
Knitting & Crocheting
Enter handmade hats, mittens, sweaters, afghans, shawls, baby sets, yarn, and other knitted or crocheted pieces.
Photography
Submit your best matted photo, including fair photos, portraits, animals, nature scenes, and creative foodie shots.
Sewing & Quilting
Enter handmade clothing, toys, dolls, bears, quilts, baby items, and other sewn or quilted articles.
Largest Produce
Grow big or go home! Enter your tallest cornstalk, tallest sunflower, largest pumpkin, biggest squash, and more.
Preserved Products
Enter homemade canned goods, jams, jellies, pickles, salsa, maple syrup, fruit butters, and gift baskets.
Vegetable & Gourd Decorating
For ages 13 and older, turn vegetables or gourds into creative characters, animals, or decorative displays