Loudoun County Fair | July 25–July 29, 2023

Loudoun County Fair Logo

Sykes Hall Catalog of Exhibits

Baked Goods

Division 1 – Breads
Division 2 – Cookies
Division 3 – Candy
Division 4 – Cupcakes
Division 5 – Pies
Division 6 – Cakes

Food Preservation

Division 7 – Home Canned Fruits and Vegetables
Division 8 – Jellies, Jams, and Pickles
Division 9 – “Red, White, and Brew”
Division 10 – Honey

Field, Farm & Garden

Division 11 – Flowers
Division 12 – Gardening
Division 13 – Field Crops
Division 14 – Fiber (sheep, goat, alpaca, or rabbit)

Home & Creative Arts

Division 15 – Clothing
Division 16 – Needle Art
Division 17 – Crafts
Division 18 – Collections and Scrapbooks

Photography & Fine Arts

Division 19 – Photography
Division 20 – Fine Art

Youth Divisions (4-H & FFA Only)

Division 21 – Food Nutrition Display – Youth Only
Division 22 – Natural Science Exhibits – Youth Only
Division 23 – Safety – Youth Only
Division 24 – Child Care – Youth Only
Division 25 – Project Books – Youth Only
Division 26 – Cloverbuds – Youth Only

Baked Goods

All entries in Divisions 1 – 6 must be submitted on a disposable plate, disposable pie pan, or in a disposable, covered, clear plastic container (clamshell, etc.). Entries on disposable plates must be covered with clear plastic cling film or bag (such as Saran Wrap or a Ziploc-style baggie). No other containers are allowed. No glass or ceramic plates or any other type or material containers allowed.

Judging will be based on flavor, texture, and appearance.

Division 1 – Breads

Class 1 4 Biscuits or Scones
Class 2 4 Muffins, any type
Class 3 1 Loaf Yeast Bread or 4 Yeast Rolls
Class 4 1 Loaf Quick Bread (banana, pumpkin, zucchini, etc.)
Class 5 1 Tea Ring or Coffee Cake, any type

Division 2 – Cookies (4 cookies or bars per entry)

If your drop cookie entry contains any additions other than chocolate chips and/or nuts, it should be entered in Class 2.

Class 1 Drop Cookie – chocolate or chocolate chip (with or without nuts)
Class 2 Drop Cookie – any other variety: fruit, spice, nut, nut butter, etc.
Class 3 Sliced, Cutout, Or Decorated Cookie
Class 4 Bars And Brownies

Division 3 – Candy (4 pieces of candy per entry)

Class 1 Fudge, any type
Class 2 Bark or Brittle
Class 3 Molded Candy, chocolate or sugar based
Class 4 Any Other Candy

Division 4 – Cupcakes (4 cupcakes per entry)

Class 1 Yellow/White Cupcake, iced or frosted
Class 2 Chocolate Or Devil’s Food Cupcake, iced or frosted
Class 3 Any Other Variety, iced or frosted

Division 5 – Pies (1 whole pie per entry)

Class 1 Fruit Pie (double crust or crumb/nut topping)
Class 2 Meringue Or Cream Pie (vanilla, chocolate, banana, coconut, lime, lemon, etc.)
Class 3 Custard Or Translucent Pie (custard, chess, pumpkin, pecan, etc.)

Division 6 – Cakes

  • A Grand Champion cake will be selected for each age group: Junior, Senior, and Open.
  • The Junior and Senior grand champion cakes will be auctioned by the youth exhibitors at the Fair Auction.  The proceeds go to the respective exhibitors, minus the established auction fees.
  • Exhibitor of the Open Grand Champion cake will receive $25.00 in premiums.  The cake will then be sold by the exhibitor at the auction during the Fair, and all proceeds will go to the nonprofit group, Loudoun Fair and Associates, Inc.
  • If your entry is chosen as Grand Champion (Junior, Senior, and Open), you must make a fresh whole cake, just as it was entered, on the day of the Auction.  You are required to submit the recipe and personally auction your winning cake.
  • If you do not fulfill these requirements, your entry will be disqualified. 
  • Cakes in Classes 1 through 3 and Class 5 and 6 must be multi-tiered layer cakes, of any shape.
  • Cakes in Class 4 are loaf cakes.  
  • Refer to the heading of the Baked Goods Divisions concerning allowable containers concerning all baked goods, including Cakes.

Class 1 Yellow/White Cake, iced or frosted
Class 2 Chocolate or Devil’s Food Cake, iced or frosted
Class 3 Other Flavor Cake, iced or frosted
Class 4 Pound Cake, 1 loaf, iced or glazed
Class 5 Decorated Theme Cake of any flavor or theme, iced or frosted.
Class 6 Gluten-free cake of any flavor, iced or frosted

Register

Food Preservation

  • Canned foods must be in clear (white) regular canning jars.
  • All jars must be sealed with lid and screw band.
  • You must submit two jars of the same size/volume for each entry. One will be opened and judged for flavor, while the other will remain intact for display.
  • All entries must be labeled with the content of jar and type of processing (boiling or pressure).
  • Time and method of processing should comply with USDA recommendations.
  • JARS MUST HAVE VACUUM SEAL.
  • The following entries will be disqualified:
    • paraffin sealed jams and jellies
    • foods with non-standardized canning jars
    • foods with more than 2 inches of head space
    • Jars with failed vacuum seal
  • Judging will be based on product, liquid, container, and flavor.

Division 7 – Home Canned Fruits and Vegetables (2 jars per entry)

Class 1 Pint or Quart of Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, or Tomato-Based Sauce
Class 2 Pint or Quart of Green Beans
Class 3 Pint or Quart of Any Other Vegetable
Class 4 Pint or Quart of Fruit, whole or cut
Class 5 Pint or Quart of Fruit Sauce (Applesauce, Pear Sauce, etc.)

Division 8 – Jellies, Jams, and Pickles (2 jars per entry)

Class 1 ½ Pint or Pint of Jam or Preserves
Class 2 ½ Pint or Pint of Jelly
Class 3 ½ Pint or Pint of Fruit/Veg. Butter (apple butter, peach butter, pumpkin butter etc.)
Class 4 Pint of Cucumber Pickles (any size, form, or flavor)
Class 5 Pint of any other Pickled Vegetable(s)
Class 6 ½ Pint or Pint of Relish, Chow-chow, Chutney, or Salsa

Division 9 – “Red, White, and Brew”

  • All Exhibitors submitting an entry in Division 9 must be 21 years of age or older.
  • Bottles of beer must be between 10 and 14 ounces in size and capped/sealed.
  • Wine bottles must be corked or capped and between 500 and 750 ml in volume.
  • Entry will be opened and judged on flavor and appearance.
  • All entries must be labeled.

Class 1 1 Bottle, Lager or Pilsner
Class 2 1 Bottle, IPA or Pale Ale
Class 3 1 Bottle, Amber or Dark Ale
Class 4 1 Bottle, Specialty Beer (fruit or spiced)
Class 5 1 Bottle, Stout or Porter
Class 6 1 Bottle, Red Wine, single varietal or mixed varietals
Class 7 1 Bottle, White Wine, single varietal or mixed varietals
Class 8 1 Bottle, Hard Cider

Division 10 – Honey

Honey entries are to have been processed between August 1, 2021 through July 17th, 2022.

Class 1 Light extracted honey, one-pound clear glass jar
Class 2 Dark/medium extracted honey, one-pound clear glass jar
Class 3 Display of light chunk honey, one-pound clear glass jar
Class 4 Display of dark/medium chunk honey, one-pound clear glass jar
Class 5 Decorative 100% beeswax candle

Register

Field, Farm, and Garden

Division 11 – Flowers

Single Specimens
Include a single stem specimen in a clear glass container.

Class 1 Single gladiolus specimen
Class 2 Single rose specimen
Class 3 Single dahlia specimen
Class 4 Single zinnia specimen (small)
Class 5 Single zinnia specimen (large)
Class 6 Single marigold specimen
Class 7 Single yellow sunflower specimen
Class 8 Single sunflower specimen, other than yellow
Class 9 Largest sunflower specimen (judged by diameter of head)
Class 10 Single herb specimen

Potted plants

  • Plants must be potted in soil or growing medium, in a container, basket, or pot, as appropriate to the category.
  • Hanging baskets will be displayed hanging and must be able to be hung.
  • Overall size of container and specimen are at the discretion of the Exhibitor.

Class 11 Hanging Basket (can be a single variety or multiple varieties of potted plants)
Class 12 Single Potted Plant (this is to be one single plant, potted)
Class 13 Dish Garden or Combination Pot (this is to be multiple plants of one or more varieties in one container)

Floral Arrangements

Floral arrangements must be in a vase or appropriate container, suitable in size and shape to the nature of the arrangement. These are arrangements of cut flowers and/or other plant material.

Class 14 Small is Beautiful – a fresh flower or plant material arrangement not to exceed 5” in any direction. Dimensions include the vase or container.
Class 15 Togetherness – an arrangement of cut flowers and/or plant material, fresh or dried, of a single variety of flower or multiple varieties combined.

Division 12 – Gardening

  • Items will be judged visually, but may be judged on flavor, at the discretion of the judge. Portions of the entry may be sliced or cut to judge internal appearance.
  • Please include varietal name or type of vegetable.
  • An entry must consist of ONE variety of the vegetable specified (i.e. an entry in Class 6 must be 15 green beans of one variety, not 5 Kentucky Wonder beans, 5 yellow wax beans, and 5 purple string beans).

Class 1 3 Slicing Tomatoes, any color
Class 2 3 Italian or Paste Type Tomatoes, any color
Class 3 15 Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, any color
Class 4 3 Irish Potatoes, any color
Class 5 3 Sweet Potatoes
Class 6 Plate of 15 Green or String Beans, any color
Class 7 3 Ears Sweet Corn, shucked/trimmed
Class 8 3 Sweet Peppers, any color or type
Class 9 3 Hot/Spicy Peppers, any color or type
Class 10 3 Cucumbers, any type
Class 11 3 Yellow Summer Squash
Class 12 3 Zucchini Squash
Class 13 3 Tree Fruits (Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Apples, Pears, etc.)
Class 14 Plate of 15 Berries, any kind
Class 15 3 of any other Vegetable
Class 16 Big Boy – 1 largest vegetable or fruit by weight, any type
Class 17 Best Scarecrow-must provide own support
Class 18 Potato Diorama – make a scene out of potatoes and/or other fruits/vegetables. You may use whole or cut potatoes, fruits, and vegetables in your creation. You may use toothpicks, glue, or other connecting tools/substances to hold it all together. You may treat exposed cut food with lemon juice or citric acid to inhibit browning, if you wish. It can be 3-dimensional or 2-dimensional, but it needs to hold together! The more potatoes it includes, the better!

Division 13 – Field Crops

Class 1 6 Stalks Hybrid Field Corn, cut at ground level, bound together for display
Class 2 Bale Section of Alfalfa Hay
Class 3 Bale Section of Grass or Timothy Hay
Class 4 Bale Section of Mixed Legume-Grass Hay or Field Hay
Class 5 Gallon of any Grain, Corn, or Soybeans

Division 14 – Fiber (sheep, goat, alpaca, llama or rabbit)

  • Entries must note name of farm where fiber was grown/purchased (Town, State).
  • Species of animal must also be noted.

Class 1 1 Skirted Fleece
Class 2 Washed Fiber, combed or carded into roving (submit a full gallon Ziploc-style bag full of roving)
Class 3 Hand Spun Yarn by Exhibitor (note ply and type of yarn)
Class 4 Item made from hand spun yarn or roving

Register

Home and Creative Arts

Division 15 – Clothing

  • Bring all clothing on hangers.
  • Entries must be the original work of the exhibitor.
  • Commercially made or store-bought items will be disqualified.

Class 1 Blouse, Top, or Shirt
Class 2 Dress
Class 3 Pants, Shorts, or Skirt
Class 4 Sleepwear
Class 5 Accessory
Class 6 Apron
Class 7 Tote Bag or Purse
Class 8 Infant Wear
Class 9 Any other Garment, not listed above

Division 16 – Needle Art

  • Please be sure there are no identifying marks that would allow the judges to discover the identity of the crafter. If an identifying mark exists within a piece, it must be covered by the exhibitor.

Class 1 Quilt, hand stitched (pieced and quilted by the exhibitor)
Class 2 Quilt, machine stitched (pieced and quilted by the exhibitor)
Class 3 Quilt, machine pieced and hand quilted by the exhibitor
Class 4 Any other Quilted Item (hand or machine stitched)
Class 5 Knitted Blanket
Class 6 Knitted Clothing Item
Class 7 Knitted Baby Set/Item
Class 8 Crocheted Blanket/Afghan
Class 9 Crocheted Clothing Item
Class 10 Crocheted Baby Set/Item
Class 11 Embroidered Item
Class 12 Counted Cross Stitch Item
Class 13 Hooked or Punched Item
Class 14 Crewel Picture
Class 15 Needlepoint Picture, original design
Class 16 Needlepoint Picture from kit

Division 17 – Crafts

Class 1 Candle, molded or dipped
Class 2 Wood item, pre-manufactured, decorated by exhibitor (carving, burning, painting, staining, etc.)
Class 3 Wood item, made by the exhibitor, decorated or not
Class 4 Ceramics, pre-manufactured, decorated
Class 5 Pottery, handmade
Class 6 Jewelry, handmade
Class 7 Holiday Decoration, for any holiday (ornament, wreath, centerpiece, etc.)
Class 8 Basket or Tray, hand woven
Class 9 Item made from Felt (felt can be purchased or made)
Class 10 Clay Item
Class 11 Camp Craft
Class 12 Tin Punch
Class 13 Model-Car, Truck, Plane, Rocket, or other made from kit
Class 14 Decorated Clothing Item
Class 15 LEGO Scene – make a scene out of LEGOs. You may mount scene on a LEGO baseboard or on another rigid board; maximum size 15”x15”. Components of your scene may use kit items, but overall scene should be your own creation. No maximum height, but it must hold together for judging!
Class 16 Duct Tape Creation – any item or display made from Duct Tape (any color). Item may have an internal frame, if necessary, of other material as long as frame is completely covered by Duct Tape.
Class 17 Tie-Dye item – any fabric-based item that has been Tie-Dyed by exhibitor. Exhibitor may Tie-Dye a pre-manufactured fabric item or may Tie-Dye a piece of fabric then create something from that fabric.

Division 18 – Collections and Scrapbooks

Class 1 Collection of Items (stamp, doll, bottle caps, figurines, etc.). Collection must be displayed or mounted and labeled. Items to be of man-made origin. For collections of natural items, see Division 22.
Class 2 Loudoun 4-H or FFA Club scrapbook
Class 3 Animal Scrapbook relating to 4-H project, but not member’s Project Book.
Class 4 Any other Scrapbook

Register

Photography and Fine Arts

Division 19 – Photography

  • Only 5×7 sized photos will be accepted.
  • Do NOT frame or mat photos.
  • Entries must be photographed by an amateur exhibitor.
  • Any entry not meeting these requirements will be disqualified.

Class 1 Person(s), color
Class 2 Animal(s), including insect(s), color
Class 3 People/person and animal(s) combined, color
Class 4 Flowers(s) or other plant(s), color
Class 5 Scene or Landscape, color
Class 6 Special Event or Holiday, color
Class 7 Sequence, color (3-5 photos)
Class 8 Person(s), black and white
Class 9 Animal(s) including insect(s), black and white
Class 10 People/person and animal(s) combined, black and white
Class 11 Flower(s) or other plant(s), black and white
Class 12 Scene or Landscape, black and white
Class 13 Special Event or Holiday, black and white
Class 14 Sequence, black and white (3-5 photos)
Class 15 Loudoun County Fair scenes

Division 20 – Fine Art (Entries may be framed and/or mounted.)

Class 1 Paint, oil
Class 2 Paint, acrylic
Class 3 Watercolor
Class 4 Drawing – pastel, charcoal
Class 5 Drawing – pencil, pen/ink, colored pencil
Class 6 Sketchbook
Class 7 Mixed Media
Class 8 Digital Art

Register

Youth Divisions – Educational Exhibits

Divisions 21-26 : Loudoun 4-H and FFA Youth Only

All educational posters must be a minimum size of 14”x22” on poster board or display board material. There must be a title and combination of text and visual material on display.

Division 21 – Food Nutrition Display – Youth Only

Class 1 Nutrition Poster (healthy meal plan, food groups, etc.)
Class 2 Safe Food Preparation Poster
Class 3 Table Setting on tray depicting healthy meal

Division 22 – Natural Science Exhibits – Youth Only

Class 1 Collection of Natural Items, (insects, rocks, shells, leaves, flowers, etc.), displayed or mounted and identified by common or scientific name.
Class 2 Poster, or other Display, on a natural subject (insects, wildlife, plant-life, ecosystems, or other natural science topic)
Class 3 Handmade Bird Feeder, Bird House, Bat House, or Bee House/Habitat
Class 4 4-H/FFA Animal Project related poster
Class 5 4-H/FFA any other Project related poster
Class 6 Science Fair project display

Division 23 – Safety – Youth Only

Class 1 Poster or Display about Home Safety
Class 2 Poster or Display about Vehicle Safety
Class 3 Poster or Display about Farm Safety
Class 4 First Aid Kit for Home/Family (list each item in kit, quantity, and purpose of each item)
Class 5 First Aid Kit for Farm/Livestock/Pets (list animal species, contents of kit, and purpose of each item)

Division 24 – Child Care – Youth Only

Class 1 Handmade Toy
Class 2 Handmade Board Game or Puzzle
Class 3 Handmade Children’s Book
Class 4 Handmade Doll or Puppet

Division 25 – Project Books – Youth Only

Class 1 Beef project book
Class 2 Horse project book
Class 3 Rabbit project book
Class 4 Sheep project book
Class 5 Swine project book
Class 6 Goat project book
Class 7 Alpaca and Llama project book
Class 8 Poultry project book
Class 9 Dairy project book
Class 10 Any Other project book

Division 26 – Cloverbuds – Youth Only

Class 1 Artwork by exhibitor 5-6 years of age, no larger than 14” x 22” (any type of artwork listed in Div. 20)
Class 2 Artwork by exhibitor 7-8 years of age, no larger than 14” x 22” (any type of artwork listed in Div. 20)
Class 3 Craft item made by exhibitor 5-6 years of age (any type of craft listed in Div. 17)
Class 4 Craft item made by exhibitor 7-8 years of age (any type of craft listed in Div. 17)
Class 5 4 Cookies of any type
Class 6 Flower Specimen or Arrangement, any type
Class 7 Table Setting Display (One place setting plus a decorative centerpiece, to be displayed on a tray.)
Class 8 Scrapbook of any kind, not a Project Book
Class 9 Garden Vegetable, any variety (see type and quantities listed under Garden Division 12)
Class 10 Collection of items (natural or man-made), mounted/displayed and labeled
Class 11 Cloverbud Project Book

Cloverbuds are considered non-competitive and will receive participation ribbons for their exhibits. Cloverbuds are only allowed to enter items in this Division and Classes.

Register