Official Kids Mag

By Lynn Atkins Special to Official Kids Mag The Benton County Fair is happening at the end of this month, Sept. 26- 30, and it's not too late to enter some of these cool contests to win ribbons and prizes! Blue Ribbon Blue Ribbon Time Time Talent show Every year the Benton County Fair includes a talent show for young people. Entries are now open to all Benton County residents ages 4-21 that would like to compete in the Benton County Talent Show. The show is split into three age divisions: kids (ages 4-9), juniors (ages 10-15) and seniors (ages 16-21). Talent show categories include vocals, instrumental, dance, and the variety show category, which includes lip syncing, pantomime, baton and juggling. The variety category might also include magicians or ventriloquists, director Andra Fritch said. Musical groups of up to 15 members are welcome to compete as long as all members are residents of Benton County. "To me, it's a platform outside of school that gives an additional opportunity to develop skills," she said. "The passion for performing arts for me comes from being a 4-H volunteer and a parent who has talked to kids – doing things away from your school peers is more fun." There are usually several contestants who don't attend traditional schools, she said. Her own daughters were homeschooled and both did well in the talent show. "For the homeschool community, it's an amazing opportunity to develop those skills. It allows you to learn to lose with grace and also hopefully to win with grace. They Pumpkin Decorating With the fair taking place in September, there may be fewer vegetables and flowers available to show, but there should be plenty of pumpkins according to Master Gardener Toy Siler. For the first time this year, decorated pumpkins will be judged, in addition to the Giant Pumpkin competition. Organizers considered a jack-o- lantern contest, but as Toy pointed out, the weather can be very warm in September and carved pumpkins wouldn't do well in those temperatures, sitting inside a metal building for a week. Instead, pumpkins can be decorated with materials like paint, fabric and accessories. According to the contest rules, entries need to be real pumpkins, not plastic or styrofoam. While some may choose to grow their own pumpkins, that is not a requirement to enter. Master Gardener Sharon Kerr recommended that anyone who wants to enter a pumpkin should experiment with their choice of decorations. A substance like Halloween makeup might seem like a good idea, until it doesn't stick to the pumpkin's skin. The skin of the pumpkin should not be pierced. Glue is a better option to attach decorations. There is no entry fee and individuals can enter more than one pumpkin. There will be two age categories, one for adults and one for ages 19 and younger. Of course, there will once again be a Giant Pumpkin contest for the biggest pumpkin grown. In 2021, one contestant entered two winning pumpkins – one weighed 500 pounds and the other was 300 pounds! Last year, due to the drought, the winning pumpkins were much smaller. Decorate a pumpkin, build a scarecrow, or show off your talent at the Benton County Fair 30 • SEPTEMBER 2023 • www.Of f icialKidsMag.com

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