County Fair exhibits range from quilts and jams to hedgehogs made of grapes

Published 3:46 pm Friday, August 1, 2025

Rows of quilts, pickled goods, kids’ crafts, homegrown vegetables, baked items and more line the exhibitor room at the Deschutes County Fair, some adorned with blue first-place stickers and tie-dyed “Best in Show” ribbons.

Each year, participants from around the county show off their creative skills as exhibits in the Deschutes County Fair. The theme of this year’s exhibition is “Barns, Boots and Country Roots.” From floral arrangements to barbecue table settings, they highlight the local creativity and tradition.

A Deschutes County Fair Best of Show piece of art in the 12 and under division, entitled Trash to Treasure Mom’s old boots by Sophie Delgado of Redmond on display in the Cascade Lakes South building, during the Deschutes County Fair in Redmond Wednesday afternoon. Andy Tullis/The Bulletin

Rachel McIntosh has been on the Deschutes County Fair board of directors for more than 40 years and serves as the director of the fair association. She believes that the exhibition is an opportunity for people to take a break from modern life and show off traditional skills.

“Because of our modern tech and busy lives, so many things aren’t homemade anymore,” McIntosh said. “We want to encourage people to learn from each other and try new things.”

While many of the exhibits display traditional skills like baking, quilting and growing vegetables, others show off a more unique array of creativity, like the “crazy critters” category.

In this category, young participants made produce into animals. Among the competitors were turtles with pineapples for shells and carrots for limbs, hedgehogs made of pears and grapes, and porcupines with potato bodies and sunflower seed spikes.

“I just delight in the creativity that these kids come up with,” Jennifer Stenkamp, superintendent of the floral department, said. “They really have the ‘wow’ factor.”

Stenkamp has been part of the floral department at the fair’s exhibitions for nearly 33 years and has served as superintendent of the department for 14 years. She has the difficult task of awarding the coveted Superintendent’s Award to one item under her purview. This year she has selected a dark maroon floral arrangement inside a shiny red pot.

“This is a way for people to show off their creativity that maybe they haven’t had an opportunity to show off before,” Stenkamp said. “You may make a lot of bouquets or quilts, but no one ever gets to see… This way you can show off your artistic talent.”

Across from the floral section, McIntosh and her crew from the Powell Butte Christian Church spend their days at the fair stitching a large, patterned brown and white quilt inside the exhibition room. Fairgoers ask them what they’re doing and lob questions about stitching. McIntosh said being able to interact and answer questions is the whole point of being there.

The group quilts every Monday and Tuesday as a way to spend time together while working on their craft. Each member submitted quilts to the exposition, both as a group and as individuals.

McIntosh entered one quilt that she made for a family member’s 10th wedding anniversary. It took McIntosh four months to finish it.

“You have to pick out your material,” McIntosh said. “That’s hard sometimes, but it’s fun. You get your colors and your pattern and you sew it together and put it in a frame and hand quilt and finish it.”

That quilt also won the Superintendent’s Choice Award. McIntosh entered another piece she made for her grandson that also won a blue ribbon.

Tucked away in a smaller room at the fairgrounds, Janice Allen looks over numerous exhibitions. She entered a lot of exhibits herself, including floral arrangements and tablesetting.

Although she loves all the exhibitions, her real passion is preserved foods.

Judging for food preservation is based on both visual looks and using reliable recipes. Due to the rising food costs, judges no longer taste the food. It’s required to use a tested recipe when entering the canning competition so judges know it’s reliable. There are different categories for preserving, including pie fillings, vegetables, sauces, jellies, jams, marmalades, syrups, relishes, pickles and dehydrated foods.

Allen has lived in Bend since the 1980s and attended many Oregon State University food preservation courses. She has entered her products at the fair for many years and has been volunteering there for the past three years.

“My favorite part is that I get to work with my granddaughters to,” Allen said.

Ash Jones, 7, from bottom center in white t-shirt, and his friend Hunter White, 9, both from La Pine, look at the Kids Corner Photography Exhibit for 7 to 9-year-olds in the Cascade Lakes South building, during the Deschutes County Fair in Redmond Wednesday afternoon. Andy Tullis/The Bulletin

Her 12-year-old granddaughter also entered the exhibition and won a blue ribbon and the Superintendent’s Award for her preserved carrots.

“Grandpa said, ‘We’re framing this one,’” Allen said.

While the exhibitions at the fair serve as an opportunity for Deschutes County residents to show off their skills, exhibitors also learn from and connect with a community of creatives, Stenkamp said.

“Everyone wants to see how they did at the fair, and in the process they support their community,” Stenkamp said. “There is an ambiance of sharing and it’s just a wonderful place to be.”

— Sophie Fowler contributed to this story.