WEST SPRINGFIELD — After COVID-19 took a toll on their numbers, two events coming to the Big E in late July are hoping for increased participation this year.
“We had 85 entrants last year and hope for at least 100 this year,” said Carey Leckie, president of Hampden County 4-H & Youth Fair Association.
The fair allows any children between ages 5 and 18, especially those in 4-H programs, to show off their work in arts, crafts, cooking, agriculture, electronics engineering, robotics, and more, said Leckie. Kids raising animals will also show off their cows, goats, sheep, dogs, rabbits, poultry and other livestock.
“It’s for the kids. It’s all for them, for them to be able to show their things and gain confidence in themselves and what they can do,” said Leckie.
For those in the non-agricultural “hall exhibits,” the fair is a contest with prizes, she said. Exhibitors are divided into juniors — ages 8 to 13 — and seniors — ages 14 to 18. Juniors and seniors in each “class,” or category, will be judged against the criteria of that class, which could include creativity or skill level. Prizes include a gift card or a trophy depending on the age of the exhibitor.
All children will receive constructive feedback and a ribbon, said Leckie. Exhibits can win first, second or third place in their classes; those exhibitors win cash, she said.
The best hall exhibits will be added to the Court of Honor, said Leckie. That doesn’t necessarily mean the first place winners.
“We try to have a nice selection of junior and senior projects,” she said. “I think it ends up being 20 projects overall.”
Besides the hall exhibits and the animals, there will be other activities like tractor pulls, a bike rodeo, a fun run and even goat milking.
The deadline for exhibitors to sign up is July 19. Those interested can apply online at hampdencounty4hyouthfair.org. Entry is free for most classes. The 2024 fair book, which can be found on the website, provides a detailed list of rules for each livestock and hall exhibit class.
“We welcome all children to come and exhibit their handicrafts and all their hall exhibits, as well if they want to enter their animals, they’re welcome to do that,” Leckie said.
Hall exhibits will be set up the afternoon of judging, which is Friday, July 26, said Leckie. The fair itself will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at the Mallary Complex on the Big E fairgrounds. Admission is free and parking is free.
Also on July 26, New England cheese makers will compete in the Big E Gold Medal Cheese Competition, vying for medals for their cheeses, yogurts and butters.
This year, there will be three new cheese classes: “Hispanic-style class,” which includes queso blanco, cotija and chihuahua; “traditional international cheese styles,” a catch-all for cheeses that aren’t Hispanic, Italian or Swiss; and goat cheese. Ghee, a clarified butter from India, will also now be accepted in the butter class.
“I’m assuming it would be by demand by our exhibitors. They would have requested we add them in,” said Laura Hietala, of the Eastern States Exposition.
“We’ve grown the last few years so we keep adding categories to grow,” she added.
Cheeses are judged based on different point systems for different classes, centering around their aroma, flavor, texture and appearance, she said. They are then awarded bronze, silver or gold medals. More than one of each medal can be awarded, or none at all. Last year, in the “flavored soft spreads” class, five spreads were awarded gold, none were awarded silver, and seven were awarded bronze.
“They’re all based on their own merit, as opposed to one against the other,” said Hietala.
Gold medal winners have a chance at winning the top classes. Last year’s best in show was “Europa,” a gouda made by Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, Connecticut.
This year’s judges include Stephanie Skinner, of Otis, the founder of Culture: the World on Cheese magazine and the vice president of the Otis Preservation Trust. Judges come from all over the dairy industry.
Last year, there were 130 cheeses entered into the competition; companies entered more than one, said Hietala.
That’s less than the 170 from before the coronavirus pandemic, but more than in 2022.
“We’d definitely like to grow further and hopefully get closer to our pre-COVID numbers,” she said.
As of July 10, five days before the deadline, makers from Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have joined, said Hietala. They include Vermont Creamery, University of Connecticut Creamery, and even the Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
The contest is closed to the public. Results will be posted at easternstatesexposition.com and facebook.com/ESEAgEd.
