Home, garden entries sought

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - Do you think you bake the best cookies, grow the biggest and juiciest tomatoes, or make the most creative crafts in your neighborhood? You may have what it takes to earn a blue ribbon in the 2008 Monmouth County Fair home and garden competition. So gather up your best needlepoint, knitting and holiday craft creation and get ready to enter it in this year's competition.

Keep that blue ribbon in mind as you pick eggplant, peppers and herbs. Ceramics, dolls, jewelry or creations in wood and leather could demonstrate just how versatile you or your neighbors are. And, your painting, drawing, or photograph could be the fine arts highlight of this year's Monmouth County Fair.

The Monmouth County Park System will be accepting entries in the Crafts, Needlework, Canned Goods, Photos, Art, and Honey categories from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 20 and 9 a.m. to noon July 21. Entries from senior centers will be accepted on July 21 during those times and from 9 a.m. to noon July 22. Flower, plant and vegetable entries should be delivered to the fairgrounds 8-11 a.m. July 27. Baked goods should be delivered to the fairgrounds 8-11 a.m. July 26.

The winning entries in the 2008 home and garden competition can be seen at the 34th annual Monmouth County Fair from July 23-27.

For information about how to enter the home and garden competition or to request a brochure, visit www.monmouthcountyparks. com and click Monmouth County Fair or call (732) 842-4000, ext. 4217.

The Monmouth County Fair runs July 23-27. The fair gate is open from 5-11 p.m. on July 23, 24 and 25; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 26; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 27 at the East Freehold Park Showgrounds, Kozloski Road, Freehold Township. Admission to the fair is $6 per person. Children 12 and under are free at all times.

The Monmouth County Fair is organized and presented by the Monmouth County Park System in cooperation with the Monmouth County 4-H Association and is sponsored by FirstEnergy Foundation/ JCP&L.