Red Ribbon Getting Ready for 2013

One of the best things about volunteering for the Country Fair Red Ribbon is the camaraderie and also the great pot luck dinners for the wind up meeting. (Take note, Red Ribbon can always use new volunteers!). The 2012 Red Ribbon had lots of ups (and a few downs) but overall the fun level with great weather and attendance was and the quality of entries was noted by the judges to be top notch. New this year was the certificate for most entries for a school which went to Our Lady of Wisdom. One hundred and nine adults entered, 95 children and 22 families put in for the Grand Aggregate! The ‘Preserving Our Skills’ workshop held in July by expert baker and canner Louise Bruns, got participants ready to enter their finest jams, pies, salsa and bread. The high quality of entries meant the nine judges worked very hard to make decisions on the finalists. In particular, wine and beer entries were way up. Thanks to the MANY pie makers and pie buyers who helped the Red Ribbon raised over $1900 for STARS. Next year’s Red Ribbon will be September 13th and 14th 2013. These dates give a bit more time after school gets in for preparing entries, which we hope will increase even more in 2013.
And speaking of 2013–the Red Ribbon Committee is eager to garner ideas from other fair competitions so representatives plan to attend the Association of Alberta Agricultural Societies convention in Edmonton early February. Our posters and booklet will be entered into the provincial competition. For those of you who have expressed an interest in becoming a Red Ribbon judge there will be a workshop in Cochrane on Saturday June 1st. Details to come later. A few minor changes to Red Ribbon booklet entry categories will be made for next year, addition of samosas to baking, a basket of home grown vegetables, digital art, wheat sheaves and/or wheat weaving, and a few others yet to be confirmed. The Red Ribbon Committee is eager to have some ‘grown in Chestermere’ judges so if you have an interest in this area, please get in touch, or if you have suggestions for new categories, we want to hear from you. Contact us via Facebook under Chestermere Country Fair, or e-mail jpeddles@telus.net or our Agricultural Society Liaison, Carol Smailes at accounting@chestermerecrca.com