EcoSociety invites you to the fourth Annual Fall Fair, a traditional harvest celebration, complete with live music, games for kids, prizes for best produce, preserves, and pies, and all the fresh produce, delicious food, and amazing crafts that Cottonwood Market is known for. We’ll also have a program of workshops including using worms to compost your food scraps and winterizing your garden.

This year, the Fall Fair is part of the 350.org Climate Action Day. There’s nothing more low-carbon than local food! So come down to Cottonwood Falls Park between 10am and 2pm on Sept 24 to take part in the festivities.  See below for contest guidelines.

Fall Fair Guidelines

• There is no entry fee
• There is no limit to the number of categories an individual can enter
• All entries must be dropped off at the Cottonwood Market between 9:30 and 10:30 am on Saturday September 24th. Judging starts at 11:00 am
• Prizes and plates can be picked up at noon
• Prizes are $20 in market bucks for first place, $10 for second place.
• We expect the use of your own homegrown food in this contest. Grain needs to be from 100 mile radius and wild berries can be used. For baking and preserving you may have to buy some ingredients.
• With each entry include a slip of paper or card with your name, phone number and a brief description of your gardening techniques used to grow your produce, also list all ingredients for the baking and preserving categories and describe techniques used such as fermented, raw or pickled and indicate any ingredient you had to buy.
• If you are under 15 please include your age.
• Please wash the fruit and vegetables for the tasters.

A. Produce Categories

1. Mixed Vegetable bowl
Put together your best looking and tasting vegetables
Judging criteria: best flavour

2. Eggs
Three eggs on a plate

3. Pumpkin
The biggest pumpkin wins

B. Home Baking and Preserves Categories

4. Local fruit or vegetable dessert
One whole, uncut dessert made with locally-grown fruits or vegetables
Judging criteria: best flavor and appearance

5. Home made pie
One whole pie made with local grown or picked fruit and local grain.
Judging criteria: best flavor and wholeness of grain

6. Savory Preserve
One jar of savory preserve (salsa, chutney etc), canned within the last 12 months
Judging criteria: best flavour

7. Sweet Preserve
One jar of sweet preserve (jam, jelly etc), canned within the last 12 months
Judging criteria: best flavor

8. Wine or fruit or vegetable juice
One bottle
Judging criteria; best flavor and color

C. Craft Categories

9. Vegetable and Fruit Art
Creative expression using locally-grown fruits or vegetables. Should be displayed on a board or tray and should not exceed 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm
Judging criteria: most original and attractive

10. Flower Arrangement
One bouquet of locally-grown flowers in a vase or other container
Judging criteria: best appearance