Crafts, art, giant pumpkins displayed at fair

Entered by Arthur Johnston, this year’s largest pumpkin at the Norfolk County Fair tipped the scales at 1,742 pounds.

Lisa Timpf

Advocate Contributor

Green thumbs, creative talents featured at the 2025 Norfolk County Fair

Crafts, culinary arts, and colossal pumpkins.

All of these, and more, were on display at the 2025 Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show, Oct. 7-13.

Entries in the field crops, garden products, fruit, and plants and flowers competitions were arrayed in the building under the grandstand, with giant pumpkins and squash taking centre stage as the stars of the show.

Arthur Johnston grew this year’s largest pumpkin, which tipped the scales at 1,742 pounds.

Second place in the pumpkin category went to David Pitura, at 1,441 pounds, while Dave McQuay took third place with a 1,439-pound entry. Even the eighth-place pumpkin, entered by Ron and Doris Wray, registered an impressive 1,067 pounds.

Towering corn stalks, broad and bulky sunflower heads, and even whopping zucchini were among the other items on display, while samples of crops like corn, hay, and wheat were also judged.

Plants and flowers, arrangements of apples and other fruits and vegetables, and themed displays were available for viewing. Port Dover and Woodhouse Horticultural Society took top prize in the Horticulture Theme display competition, with this year’s category set as “Good Ole Days.”

Over in the Homecraft building, competitions in culinary arts included pickles, cookies, marmalade, jelly, zucchini relish, banana loaf, and other items.

Watercolours, oil paintings, acrylic paintings, and ink work occupied the west end of the building, with competition taking place at several levels ranging from novice to professional.

Elsewhere in the building, quilts hung from the rafters or along the walls, with Marilyn Armstrong winning the Edith Sidway Memorial Award for the largest number of points in the quilt division.

Exhibits included sewn, crocheted, and knitted items as well as stained glass, woodwork, handmade toys and games, fused glass, needle felting, and other items. The Homecraft building also housed displays prepared by 4-H clubs as well as local nursing homes and retirement homes.

The Junior Farmers Building featured entries in the photography competitions. With categories including nature, landscapes, waterscapes, people, still life, farming and agriculture, creative, and an open category, the photos captured a wide range of subjects.

Kailynn Parsons earned the Harold I. Pond Award for Best Colour or Black and White Print, while the Best Print in Show and Best Black and White Print went to Rosemarie Culver. Pia O’Leary got the nod for Best Colour Print.

While the specific categories of competition have changed over time, agricultural fairs featuring competitions have been in place for over two centuries in North America. 

Though their techniques and tools may differ from those used by the earliest agricultural fair competitors, those who placed entries in this year’s competitions were participants in a time-honoured tradition. Their entries just might be the inspiration for those with creative, culinary, or gardening talents to get going on the projects that will wow next year’s fairgoers.