Friday, June 28, 2013

Calling all Cookie Decorators & Smoothie Creators!

Friendly competition is good for building character, and for satisfying taste buds. This year is the American Dairy Association of Indiana and Boutique Cookies are sponsoring two mouth watering competitions: Create-a-Dairy-Smoothie and BIG Cookie Decorating, to take place on August 3. Here’s what you need to know.
For the cookie decorators...
Each contestant will be provided with a plain giant cookie, but the rest is up to you! Decorate your cookie with anything edible that you can possibly think of. Icing, candies, nuts, you name it. Anything tasty that fits your design, which, by the way, will have to be themed either “Year of Popcorn” or “Indiana State Fair – Fun at Every Turn.” Register by July 12 to ensure your chance to show off your cookie decorating skills.

These kids decorated and tasted away at past cookie decorating contests!

For the smoothie creators…
Take some low fat milk and/or low fat yogurt. Choose your own special ingredients – fruits, veggies, spices, sweets, etc. Mix it all together and wa-la! You’re on your way to a blue-ribbon. Don’t let your smoothie making skills go unnoticed, register by July 12! 
And there are perks!
·         Participants receive 3 complimentary Indiana State Fair Tickets
·         There are cash prizes for category winners: 1st - $30, 2nd - $20, 3rd - $10
·         Cookie winners will get their cookies displayed in the Home & Family Arts Bldg. and smoothie makers get to enjoy their final product at the end of the contest.
*Only amateurs allowed. Professional cake decorators are not eligible to enter.  
Click here for more details on the BIG Cookie Decorating Contest, Create-a-Dairy-Smoothie Contest or any of our other competitions and contest. See you at the fair!

Submitted by Hilary Welter

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Coliseum renovation well worth the wait

 It’s been sad to drive into work each day and see the Coliseum with all of its scaffolding and patches, but as this video shows, a year off from the Fair is worth it for the improvements being made to the Coliseum. Each year I came to fair to show my animals, I came with hope that I would end up in the Coliseum for the Grand Drive – the Super Bowl equivalent for Indiana 4-H kids. Even though I never quite got there,  I know that in the years to come  it will be an even greater honor to 4-H’ers who make it because the Coliseum will then reflect the thrill and grandiosity that is the Grand Champion Drive.

Hunt’s construction is breathing new life into the Coliseum. See what you think of the progress being made as Project Manager Rich Trombley gives us an up-close look.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Books, Books and More Books at the Half Price Books Clearance Sale

 I am a huge book lover! I might have spent more time at the public library in my hometown than any other place while I was growing up, so I jumped at the chance to check out the Half Price Books Clearance Sale. The sale is happening this weekend in the Agriculture Horticulture Building on the State Fairgrounds and it is GIGANTIC! It’s an event that took three days to set up. It takes three whole days because there are over 100,000 books and 21,000 DVDs to organize and assemble.
 This is the fourth year for the sale at the Fairgrounds and each year it gets bigger, with overstock coming from over 30 different stores in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. Each day about 600 people stock up on religion, fiction, media, nonfiction, history and home arts/crafts. Some folks grab them by the arm loads, while others grab them by the cart load. The sale is Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s the perfect way to get ready for some summertime reading… enjoy!
This lady had her game face on and her cart loaded up.

A small glimpse of the HUGE selection at the sale.