OKEECHOBEE – Do you enjoy taking photos? Do you draw or paint? Do you love to bake? Do you garden? Do you sew? The Okeechobee County Fair is looking for you.

Do your kids like to build things with Legos? Do they make things out of Duct Tape? Enter their creations in the fair!

It’s free to enter and you can win ribbons and cash prizes. Entries are based on merit, so there can be more than one first place ribbon awarded in a category. First place is $15; second place, $10; third place, $5. 

Most competitions have separate categories for youth and adults. Best of Show ribbons are awarded on combined youth and adult entries for the category.

Entry form deadline is March 1 at 5 p.m. The contest is only open to Okeechobee County residents.

Check in for Arts & Crafts and Plant entries is Saturday, March 9.

Check in for perishable food and vegetables is March 11.

Only one exhibit per category is allowed per exhibitor. Each exhibitor may submit up to 10 entries total in the fair. Work may not have been exhibited previously at this fair.

Sewing categories include:
• Accessories,
• Applique,
• Patchwork,
• Hand embroidery,
• Machine-quilted,
• Heirloom quilts – must be at least 45 years old,
• Clothing,
• Household items,
• Dolls clothes,
• Stuffed animals,
• Cross stitch household items,
• Cross stitch pictures.

Knitting/crochet categories include:
• Afghans,
• Decorative items,
• Baby items,
• Clothing.

Fine Art categories include:
• Oils,
• Watercolors,
• Pastels,
• Acrylic,
• Charcoal,
• Graphite pencil,
• Color pencil.

Photography categories include:
• Black and white landscape and scenic,

• Black and white nature and wildlife,
• Black and white people,
• Color landscape and scenic,
• Color nature and wildlife,
• Color people,
• Digitally-enhanced photography,
• Woodworking,
• Carvings,
• Toys,
• Furniture,
• Accessories,
• Wood burning.

Jewelry/Beadwork categories include:
• Pin/broach,
• Necklace,
• Bracelet,
• Earrings.

Red Hat Categories include:
• Glitzy & glamorous,
• Crazy and wild.

Duct Tape Creations categories include:
• Wearable item,
• Fashion accessory,
• Usable item,
• Decorative item.

Cooking categories include:
• Candy,
• Cookies,
• Fudge,
• Cakes,
• Decorated cakes,
• Pies,
• Quick breads,
• Yeast breads,
• Jams & jellies,
• Pickles,

• Preserves,
• Butters,
• Canned fruits,
• Canned vegetables,
• Relishes/chutneys.

Produce categories include:
• Garden vegetable table display,
• Fruit & vegetable display,
• Largest vegetable contest.

Plant categories include:
• Bromeliads,
• Cacti,
• Flowering plants,
• Foliage plants,
• Ferns,
• Orchids,
• Succulents,
• Vegetable transplants/seedlings,
• Hanging garden baskets with 3 or more species of flowers, herbs or vegetables,
• Fairy gardens,
• Dish gardens.

Leather working categories include:
• Household items,
• Personal items,
• Cases,
• Large complex items,
• Pictures.

There are also competitions for:
• Painted rocks and
• Trash-to-treasure recycled items.

The Lego Building Contest is open to youth, with categories by age group: 4-6 years; 7-9 years; 10-12 years; 13-18 years. All contestants must supply their own bricks. Only small bricks may be used. Base plates are allowed. No kits or factory-made models may be used. Entries must be your own original creations.

The fair will also include competitions for educational posters, school displays and 4-H or FFA Club displays.

Entry applications are online at  okeechobeecountyfair.com.