Ribbon Memories
Fairs have been a part of summer for most of my life. I started entering baked goods at community fairs when I was a kid, adding jam entries and a few pieces of counted cross-stitch as an adult. A chocolate layer cake once even earned a purple champion ribbon—my winnings that year helped pay for a food processor. When I moved to the Washington, D.C., area decades ago, I started volunteering with the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, working in the decorated cakes division for several years. I loved being in the home arts building when it opened back up after the judging—hopeful entrants swept in and headed straight for their needlework or jars of pickles, sometimes squealing when they found them adorned with a ribbon. Such a joyful time. Many of us…
