Gayla Motquin enters her handmade stained glass lamps into the Door County Fair. Photo by Eleanor Corbin.
Ricki Mitchell keeps a detailed record of the jams, jellies, cookies, cakes, crafts, plants and knitwear she enters into the Door County Fair.
Each year, she tracks her entries by number, category and ribbons received. In 2021, she entered 94 items, 90 of which earned ribbons.
“I was going to cut back a little bit this year, but I think I still signed up for 74 things,” she said.
Mitchell first got her start at the Kenosha County Fair where she helped her daughters with 4-H. When they grew up and moved, she decided to start competing herself, and brought her county fair prowess with her when she moved to the peninsula.
In addition to funnel cakes, brats and carnival rides, the Door County Fair is a place for makers of all kinds to showcase their work, with categories ranging from animals and gardening to art and baking.
For many, the fair has become an annual tradition that’s all year in the making.
Regular competitor Theresa Kinnard’s family starts preparing for the next county fair just a few short weeks after the previous one ends, she said.
“It never stops,” she said. “It’s just part of the conversation all the time.”
Kinnard, a fifth-generation Door County farmer, showed her first Holstein Friesian cow at the fair when she was five years old, she estimates. She continues the legacy with her own eight grandchildren, each of whom enters at least one category.
She describes the fair as a massive celebration.
“It’s like Christmas. You can’t wait, and you do all this stuff, you prep all the food, and then you have a wonderful day,” she said.
By participating in the fair, her grandkids learn responsibility and teamwork, Kinnard said.
She helps mentor other kids through the East Maplewood Beavers 4-H group alongside another regular fair competitor, Gayla Motquin.
Motquin sees the county fair as an opportunity to showcase her intricate craftwork while also appreciating the work of other competitors. Her main focus is usually the cultural arts category, where she enters her handmade stained glass lamps.
A self-taught stained glass artist, Motquin’s house is full of delicate window decor and multi-colored lamps of her making, many of which earned county fair ribbons.
She looks forward to the fair every year.
“It’s the highlight of the summer. I guess it always was for me, even as a kid,” Motquin said.
Fair Judging
County fair judges award first through fourth place ribbons to entries in various categories. A champion ribbon indicates the highest awarded entry within a larger division.
Every category is judged differently. Canning, for instance, is largely judged by aesthetic appeal.
According to Mitchell, judges consider the quality of the seal, the amount of air in the jar and the texture and color of the contents.
“They [judges] can open the cans, but I’ve only seen them do it once, one year,” she said.
In vegetable categories, judges are looking for consistent sizes and blemish-free produce, Motquin said.
For most of the adult contests, judging is blind. Competitors cover their names on the displays to give each person a fair shot, regardless of name recognition or past performance.
Competitors sign up for categories by mid-July. For $20, individuals can enter as many categories as they would like.
