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A month after the final layer of frosting was spread on the prize-winning cake, the ripest tomato was picked and the last stitch was crocheted into the homemade afghan, organizers say the 2007 Great Frederick Fair can be judged a success. More than 16,000 exhibits were displayed during the nine-day fair -- baked, drawn, raised, grown or sewn by residents as young as two years old. "We were very pleased with the number of exhibits," said Robert Fogle, administrative assistant for the fair. "The number went up, which shows there's a great interest within the community to bring their items." Participants could submit entries in 52 departments, such as baked goods, crafts, and garden and field products. The 4-H youth department was the largest, with 8,400 exhibits. The indoor exhibits in the household building, or home arts department, was also popular, with 3,700 items on display. "I grew up through the 4-H program, so I have an interest in livestock, but it's neat to go through and see what people create," Fogle said. He mentioned the novelty cake exhibition, where participants create a cake based on the fair's theme. Brownies, macaroons, pumpkin pie and snickerdoodle cookies were among other baked goods judged in the household category, with Ronald Lipps winning best of show for cookies, and Cindy Rose winning best of show for pies. The Spuddy Buddy competition, where contestants decorated a potato, began several years ago as an educational program, Fogle said. The kids would take a cart around the fair and learn about the five senses, like the removable parts of Mr. Potato head, he said. Participants used pipe cleaners, construction paper and other materials to give their Spuddy Buddies personality. The 2007 Spuddy Buddy competition for ages 5 to 10 was won by Hannah Bollack. The livestock competition was crowded with heifers, boars, sheep, and goats from across the county. Different livestock categories were shown and judged every day of the fair. Among the senior champions for dairy cattle were Vales-Pride Farm for its Ayrshire, Matt Kepler for his Brown Swiss, OCS Dairy for its Guernsey, Stephanie Kepler for her Holstein and Bar-None Jerseys for its Jersey.
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