By Lynn Atkins
A resident of Benton County, Lavon
Stark is a longtime volunteer judge at the
Washington County Fair. She often works
with a friend who is also active in Benton
Country Home Extension activities. Each
year, when they finished judging, they
would take a moment to admire the table
settings displayed in the Washington
County Fair Barn. Stark found herself
wondering why they weren't doing the
same thing in Benton County … and a new
Benton County Fair tradition was born.
The Table Setting Contest started with
the 4-H kids, but soon expanded to allow
entries from the younger Cloverbud kids,
young people who don't belong to 4-H,
and finally adults. Cloverbud
kids, who are ages 5-8, use
paper plates on their tables;
the older participants use
china.
The older ladies like to
enter the contest because it
gives them a chance to show
off their best china that is seldom
used, Stark said.
"I've always used just what I have,"
she said. One year she used the pink
Seing tables
becomes
competitive
22 2023 Benton County Fair
