Public urged to enter Flower and Plant Exhibition at upcoming County Fair

Photos courtesy of CCE Master Gardeners: Exhibitors really showed their creativity in the “Unique Container” category of the 2024 Exhibition.

Press Release, Orleans CCE Master Gardeners

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County Master Gardeners are seeking exhibitors from the community for their annual Flower and Plant Exhibition at fair.

The Exhibition, also called the Fair Flower Show in the past, is a chance for the general public to showcase some of their favorite horticultural pieces from home.  Anyone in the community can enter up to three exhibits per class.  The classes are – Fairy Garden, Fresh Floral Arrangement, Dried/Artificial Floral Arrangement, Houseplant, Succulent, Unique Container, Hanging Basket/Urn/Pot, Garden Accent, and Miscellaneous.

This Fairy Farm was a big hit at the 2024 Flower and Plant Exhibition.

Master Gardeners changed the name of this event from “Fair Flower Show” to “ Blooms and Beyond – A Flower and Plant Exhibition at Fair” because they wanted to better reflect the true nature of the event.

Instead of a judged flower show like ones featured in larger fairs, this event is more of a showcase of horticulture projects submitted by the community members. The event will not be formally judged, but rather the public is invited to vote on their favorite entries by paper ballot during the first 4 days of fair.

There are ribbons awarded for the favorites in each category, and larger prizes for the overall “Fan Favorites.” But the real goal of the event is to showcase unique and different projects in horticulture.

“We want to make sure people realize that the Flower and Plant Exhibition is not a formal competition,” said Master Gardener and Exhibition Committee Chairperson Nancy Halstead. “The focus of the program is less about competition and more about sharing of ideas.”

The broad range of classes means that almost any garden-related project can be entered.  The “Miscellaneous” category covers entries like garden photography, art, or anything that doesn’t quite fit in any of the other classes.  There are restrictions on content and sizes, so all exhibitors should refer to the Flower and Plant Exhibition General Rules and Information sheets found on the link below.

The Flower and Plant Exhibition is the only program at fair that is open to public exhibitors of all ages– all other exhibits at fair are limited to 4-H youth.

“The Flower and Plant Exhibition is just a fun way for our community members to show some of their horticultural skills,” said Katie Oakes, Master Gardener Coordinator at Orleans CCE, “It’s really neat to see all of the different entries and it adds a pop of beauty and nature to the Lartz Building at fair.”

Exhibitors must submit pre-registration paperwork for all entries by Monday, July 14, and entries must be dropped off at the Lartz Building of the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds by Monday, July 21.

Each exhibitor will receive a coupon for half-price week-long fair admission. The Flower and Plant Exhibition will be on display adjacent to the Master Gardener tables in the Lartz Building of the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds the entire length of fair, July 21-26.

Voting by the public will take place Monday through Thursday of fair, with ribbons and prizes awarded Friday. Full rules, guidelines, and entry paperwork can be found by clicking here.

Please contact Master Gardener Coordinator Katie Oakes at 585-798-4265 ext. 125 or klo54@cornell.edu with any questions.

An example of some of the “Miscellaneous” entries from the 2024 Exhibition.