PHOTO SUBMITTED Members of the Muncy Garden Club traveled to the Bloomsburg Fair on Friday afternoon and again for the judging on Saturday morning. Left to right are: Melinda Bender, Lois Velkoff, Lois Geib and Thelma George.

MUNCY – It’s fair time at Bloomsburg and the Muncy Garden Club spent the entire month of September planning their theme this year for judging in the horticulture building. The members spent much time and effort to coordinate five arrangements that are competitively positioned in a central location within the facility where the judging took place Saturday morning.

President Lois Velkoff coordinated efforts by meeting every Tuesday night in August and September to organize ideas and designs for a mantle, a table, a door, a pedestal and a niche. The theme this year was Fairy Tales so they arranged the mantle on Cinderella using an iron pumpkin that held a bouquet of fall flowers, a table setting with a bean pot of fresh flowers to align with Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a filled witches hat for the door to resemble Hansel and Gretel, a tall red vase filled with complementary flowers for Red Riding Hood and a striking tall three dimensional arrangement for the Jack and the Beanstalk niche.

Velkoff said that four of the members went down to Bloomsburg on Friday afternoon to set everything up and returned again Saturday morning for the judging.

“We were really nervous,” she said but were delighted as the judges gave them a ribbon for fourth place overall among the other 7 garden club entries and a first place ribbon for the witches hat on the Hansel and Gretel door.

Floral designer and artist Paul Barrett assisted with the arrangements. “We got a first on the door with a note saying ‘Clever use of container’,” said Velkoff. The club also received a ribbon for the niche and scored fifth place for the table arrangement. They also got a first place ribbon for the Jack and the Beanstalk arrangement, and a fourth place ribbon for the mantle. “Overall we got three first place ribbons this year,” Velkoff said with excitement.

BARB BARRETT/The Luminary Lois Velkoff and Lois Geib from the Muncy Garden Club are putting oasis into a container resembling a witch’s hat to hang on exhibit for judging at the Bloomsburg Fair.

There are only 8 spots for garden clubs and according to the Muncy Garden Club there is a waiting list so they never want to give up their yearly entry.

The Bloomsburg Fair started officially on September 22 and will run until September 29. The first Bloomsburg Fair began in 1855 with over 1,050 residents and was held on Main Street with admission at just ten cents. Now it has grown to include 1200 vendors encompassing over 200 acres and is one of the largest fairs in the state especially the agricultural exhibits.

Last year the PA Harness Racing Association broke a record there and this year they want to offer 50/50 betting on the horses, 106 of them.

In July the track was under three feet of water from all of the rainfall, but everything was cleaned up in time for opening day. “It was a muddy mess just a few weeks ago, but maintenance got it cleaned up in time,” said Paul Reichart, board president. “While you are at the Bloomsburg Fair be sure to check out the Bengal Tiger show, the Rhinestone Roper and all the other free entertainment on the fairgrounds,” he said. There is something for everyone. On Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. the Montgomery High School Band will be performing on the free stage and on Saturday there will be lots of Blue Grass Mountain music.

This year there is a new entrance cover to the main parking lot and over 1900 more seats were added to the grandstand.

The barns are full with 1400 animals to see and new this year are Scottish cattle and Clydesdale horses. Kids can ride the sheep and enjoy a real rodeo experience in the Sunset Ice Cream ring.

Pick up some homemade cheddar cheese made from this year’s cow’s milk. Last year it was Swiss cheese.

Monday was senior citizens and veterans appreciation day with free admission.

David Millard (R-Bloomsburg) said residents visit the fair within a 50 mile radius and “it is one of the most economic engines in the state.”