Entry deadlines for state fair competitive events are approaching

[June 13, 2008]  SPRINGFIELD -- Fairgoers interested in competing in the general exhibit and livestock contests at the Illinois State Fair must enter their product or animal soon, as entry deadlines are quickly approaching.

Applications must be postmarked by Monday for the Blue Ribbon Culinary Contest, an annual cook-off where fairgoers prepare their best cakes, pies, yeast breads and baked desserts using dairy products and main dishes including chicken, beef and pork. Contestants will prepare their entries on stage daily inside the Hobbies, Arts and Crafts Building, starting at 9 a.m. and noon. The grand champion contest will be on Aug. 16. For more information, call 217-782-0786 or visit www.illinoisstatefair.info.

This year's culinary contests will be in the following divisions: baked products, decorated products, candies, jellies, preservatives, jams, marmalades and butter, canned vegetables and fruits, pickles, sauces and relishes, and diabetic cooking. This year's junior culinary contests will be in the following divisions: cakes, decorated products, cookies, candies, quick breads, yeast products, pastries and diabetic cooking. Entries are to be postmarked no later than July 15. All winning entries will be displayed in the Hobbies, Arts and Crafts Building for the duration of the fair.

The building will also house a variety of specialty culinary contests throughout the fair, including a gingerbread house contest, a cooking with eggs contest, a pizza contest, a coffeecake contest and the return of the popular "Breakfast on a Stick" contest. Entries are taken an hour before they are judged. For a compete list of specialty culinary contests and entry dates, premium books are available at the competitive events office in the Emmerson Building or online at www.illinoisstatefair.info.

Other general exhibits are agriculture products, textiles, hobbies and amateur art. The agriculture products are in three sections -- grains, fruits and vegetables -- which are then broken down into specific divisions. The textiles, hobbies and amateur art categories are split into open and junior divisions. All entries are due by July 15.

In addition to these general exhibits, the fair also has a variety of livestock contests open to the public. This year's open and junior livestock divisions include beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, swine, poultry and rabbits. In addition, the open division includes draft horses and llamas. The entry deadline for all open divisions, except for the poultry and rabbit divisions, and all junior divisions is July 1; all forms must be postmarked by this date. The deadline for the poultry and rabbit divisions is July 10.

The junior divisions are open to all members of Illinois FFA and University of Illinois Extension 4-H between the ages of 10 and 19. The animals in the junior divisions will be judged the first few days of the fair. Open livestock will be shown every day at 8 a.m. in the Livestock Center, the Junior Livestock Center, the swine barns, the sheep barns and the Coliseum throughout the course of the fair. In all of these categories except for the poultry and rabbit divisions, there are also Land of Lincoln breeders awards for animals born, bred and raised in Illinois.

The Sale of Champions will take place on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. The grand champion and grand champion Land of Lincoln steer, barrow, wether and goat will be auctioned at the sale. For more information, call 217-782-0786 or visit www.illinoisstatefair.info.

This year's Illinois State Fair runs Aug. 8-17.

[Text from Illinois State Fair file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]