SALISBURY – Just over a week away from the entry deadline, county fair exhibitors still don’t have their hands on this year’s guide book.
Fair Manager Johnny Love said the delay has been out of the fair association’s control.
“We went with a new printer this year for our catalogs, and you can bet we’re not going to use them again,” Love said.
Darrell Blackwelder, Rowan County Cooperative Extension director, said the fair catalogs are now about two weeks late compared to past years.
The colorful packets include rules and instructions for entering next month’s fair, as well as a schedule of events and other information.
Love said the printer told him the catalogs should be finished today, so they should be distributed soon to libraries, schools, the Salisbury Post and the extension office.
If there is another delay, he suggests that exhibitors print out the entry form found at the county fair’s website, www.rowancountyfair.org, on the page “Exhibits & Competition.”
“It’s last year’s entry form, but it’s got the same categories and everything,” Love said.
The 61st annual Rowan County Agricultural and Industrial fair opens Monday, Sept. 17 and runs through Saturday, Sept. 22.
The deadline to submit entries is Friday, Sept. 7.
Exhibitors at the fair will show off their best work, including dairy and livestock animals, field crops, horticulture, vegetables and fruits, flowers, food preservation, bakery goods, house furnishings, clothing and arts and crafts.
“Most people who are involved with the fair already are familiar with entering, so they kind of understand,” Blackwelder said. “For people who want to enter for the first time, it might be a little confusing.”
Blackwelder said the extension office, which can be reached by phone at 704-216-8970, is glad to help exhibitors figure out what category they should enter.
“Don’t panic, because you’ve still got time,” he said. “Even if you don’t have your entry ready, if you think you want to enter something but you’re not quite sure, go ahead and enter anyway.”
To enter an exhibit, fax the completed entry form to 704-216-8995, drop it off at the extension office at 2727-A Old Concord Road in Salisbury, or mail it in advance to 2012 Rowan County Fair, P.O. Box 66, Salisbury, NC 28145-0066.
For more information about the fair, visit www.rowancountyfair.org or call 704-633-5632.