State Fair Recipe Contests - The American Fair

Bringing National Recipe Contests To Grassroots America...

Who enters and wins? The most typical contestant is a female, age 30 to 45. She is often her family's "home-cook," preparing most of the meals and baking as a hobby. She is often a "foodie," a working mom or single person and she likes to impress friends and family with her cooking creativity. Some of these characteristics apply to a growing number of male participants as well!

Youths take part too...in their own divisions or "all age" contests...sometimes outdoing all of the adults, including any longtime contenders.

All special recipe contests at fairs are essentially for the "everyday" cook. In a given fair season, winners have ranged from 40-year-old small business owners and 20 something college students, to 80-year-old retirees with decades of baking experience.

Others contestants--who show the diversity and appeal of competing--an East Coast plastics museum curator; a stay-at-home mom with two children; a nursing assistant at a Pennsylvania hospital; a freelance commercial producer in VT; a 35-year-old loss prevention specialist at the state's largest casino; and last but not least, a Corporate Vice President in CT.

You never know who has the kitchen creativity and skills to earn themselves accolades!

Jeff co-owns a cleaning business with his wife Donna, and they are both avid contesters! Jeff’s secret to winning at the New York State Fair is to try something new with every contest entry. His Cherry Cheese Ribbons were just the ticket to a blue ribbon. Jeff enjoys writing, baking, photography and backpacking in his spare time.

Stacy was a first time cooking competitor when she entered her “SPAM Fusion Fajitas” at the San Diego County Fair. She then proceeded to win the National Grand Prize, for which Stacy choose the all expense paid trip to the Waikiki SPAM JAM® Festival in Hawaii. “I was in complete shock! I can’t believe I won on my first try,” said Slagor after her local win was announced. Upon learning of her national win: “My inspiration came from SPAM being a “worldwide” sensation. So I wanted to create a recipe with Mexican (fajitas), Hawaiian (pineapple) and Asian (teriyaki) influences.” Stacy cooks more food than her family can handle. She regularly knocks on neighbors’ doors to offer her latest kitchen creation.

This blue ribbon winning 14-year-old made Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies for the "Kids Cookie Contest" at the Amarillo Tri-State Fair in Texas. Abby comes from a big family so she enjoys baking and using her family as taste-testers. Abby had never entered at the fair before this year. She saw the cookie contest details on the fair web site and thought it would be a fun contest to enter because she likes trying new things. Abby is a 9th grader who likes to draw when she isn’t spending time with her family or baking.

Robin, a Kentucky State Fair competitor, said her secret to winning is to follow the rules and judging criteria to the letter, plus really try to make the recipe simple. That is how she took home the blue ribbon for her Decadent Ghir-Berry Delight recipe in the Chocolate Championship. Robin is a home-maker who loves to bake, knit, garden and cook.

Domino won “best pie” out of nearly 100 pies at the North Carolina State Fair. The 39-year old event planner normally cooks and does not bake. Chili is his specialty. His Whipped Nutella Cream Pie was the second pie he ever made. His description of it? “Yummy goodness!”

A past blue ribbon winner from the Iowa State Fair was 18-year-old Margaret with her Aloha Tart. The young hobby cook and accounting major enters college this year at the University of Northern Iowa. Margaret currently bakes treats and sends them to her brother at rival college Iowa State University.

Winner of more than 4,000 fair ribbons, most of them blue, Alberta of southern California has been rewarded with many moments of fame, including the highlight of her competitive career, appearing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in the late 90's.
Her number one tip is “Have the best ingredients at all times or don't bother to enter.” Alberta likes to get in the kitchen and play around. "I keep a pad and write down the ingredients and instructions as I add them." She gets ideas from ordering desserts in restaurants and trying to figure out what the ingredients are. “Then I make it to my own tastes at home,” she said.

Of more than 2,000 entrants at the New York State Fair, Ellen won the coveted "Best of Fair" Grand Prize title. Her advice for entering is to “follow directions in the fair book. If it says 'typed,' do it. If it says to attach empty packages of yeast, do it!”
“Fun” ranks high on her list of why she likes to compete. She suggests, “Don't worry about winning, just think about the recipes you will try and the friends you will make.”