Do you have a special talent like quilting, gardening, baking or photography? Have you found yourself looking over the entries in the Exhibition Hall at the Cleveland County Fair and thought about entering?
Members of 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Oklahoma Home and Community Education (OHCE) have other, more experienced members and leaders to walk them through the process of entering the fair, but the Open Categories are available for anyone in the county to enter.
Still, the thought of entering for the first time can be intimidating. So where should you begin? Follow these simple steps for entering the county fair. And why not? Entering is free and you have the chance to bring home a ribbon or, in a few cases, a cash prize!
First you should download a fair book from the county fair website at https://www.clevelandcountyfair.org/DocumentCenter/View/57/County-Fair-Book-PDF.
You can also drop by the Cleveland County Fairgrounds Office in the north building of the campus at 615 E. Robinson St., Norman, anytime Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and pick up a fair book.
Check the listings in the book and see if there is a class for your exhibit, whether it’s that prize zinnia you grew this year, the cute handmade purse your friends raved about or the peach pie you make with grandma’s secret family recipe.
Next, read the rules and regulations for entering and for the category you want to enter. At this point, you can call the fairgrounds office at 405-360-4721 during regular business hours or email smclure@clevelandcountyok.com.
“It’s easier on exhibitors to come by the office and pick up an exhibitor number and entry tag,” said Fair Board Secretary Sandy McClure. “If it’s someone new, we will show you how to fill these out.”
Exhibitors complete the fair tag and bring the exhibit with completed fair tag to the Cleveland County Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall, Door A, between 3-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
Keep a list of your exhibits and each class number for your own records.
When the fair comes to a close, exhibits will be released at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Any exhibit not picked up by 7 p.m. Sunday can be picked up Monday - Friday the next week from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.