New Manchester Community Fair Exhibit Building classes and contests!
Photo courtesy of Sandra Wiitala.
submitted by Sandra Wiitala, Exhibit Building committee co-chairperson, Manchester Community Fair
The 80th Manchester Community Fair is fast approaching, and that means we have one more week to gather projects (or work on some new ones) for entry in the Exhibit Building at the Fair! In an effort to make it easier for everyone to be involved, entries will be accepted on two different days this year: Sunday, August 3, from 2 to 5pm, and Monday, August 4, from 3 to 7pm. (Note: Homemaker and Junior Homemaker award participants must register at the Exhibit Building by 4pm on Monday and all of their entry sheets need to be turned in by 7pm.) Entries get judged and monetary prizes and ribbons are awarded. It’s free to enter and an awesome way to get your kids involved, too.
Check out this year’s Fair book at https://manchesterfair.org (click on “download the 2024 Fair book”). You can also find a Fair booklet at local businesses and the Library. In it are all of the categories available in which to exhibit, with some fun new additions! Kids can enter a cool flower or leaves they find outside, artwork they did during the school year, tie-dye projects, a knitting project, bracelets they have made, or basically any collection they might be working on. There are baking sections, Lego builds, and so much more! New for this year are categories for painted rocks, shoe box dioramas, articles made from duct tape, suncatchers, and Manchester-themed photography.
Kids take a lot of pride in having their work displayed, and it is so easy to do. Look through the book with them and have them pick a few categories (or a LOT of categories). For those who are entering many categories, you could consider registering for the Homemaker and Junior Homemaker contests. Those entries require a varied entry list across at least five of the specified categories and must be registered by 4pm on Monday. Often it only takes a few more entries to qualify!
We are also hosting two unique challenges this year that are separate from the normal Exhibit Building–judged classes! (Please note special entry/drop-off requirements)
Fairy garden contest:
- Pick up a starter set from the Manchester District Library.
- Contestants must use all of the items provided in the set as a minimum, plus extra materials and embellishments provided by the artist.
- Entries must be turned in at the Exhibit Building on Sunday, August 3, from 2 to 5pm.
- Contest limited to the first 20 participants.
- Special prizes awarded! All ages welcome!
Coloring Contest:
- Pick up an official coloring page from local downtown businesses or the Library.
- Use medium of artist’s choice.
- Entries must be turned in at the Exhibit Building on Sunday, August 3, from 2 to 5pm, or Monday, August 4, from 3 to 7pm.
- No limit to number of participants.
- Special prizes awarded! All ages welcome!
If you have any questions about how to enter, what to enter, or anything about the process, please email me (Sandra) at blue98tj@yahoo.com. Or call me at 734-649-3341 or Carol at 734-428-8589. We would love to help you figure out how to enter your unique projects or answer any questions at all. Also we are always looking for volunteers! Would you like to help to preserve the legacy of the Manchester Fair and the unique experience of exhibiting for our local adults and kids? We would love to see you on set-up day, Saturday, August 2, and especially on entry days, Sunday, August 3, and/or Monday, August 4. A few extra hands available to log in entries and help with setting up the displays would be a great help. This is a great opportunity for anyone new to our community to come and meet their neighbors, for students to gain community service hours, and for some young people to begin their journey of community involvement and community building!
It’s fun for kids to have friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. tell them they saw their amazing projects and collections on display! And we love to see what our talented neighbors and community members have been working on this year!
We hope to see you at the Fair!
You must be logged in to post a comment Login