Among the many attractions to be enjoyed at the annual John Blue Cotton Festival, held Oct. 10-11 at the historic John Blue House in Laurinburg, the Olde Timey Fair is one that craftspersons, gardeners and others continue to find particularly interesting. Participants in the fair compete for ribbons and cash prizes by submitting their original work in one of 10 adult division categories or subcategories or in one of six youth division categories. The winning entries are displayed at the Shaw cabin on the grounds of the John Blue House during the two day festival.

"The Olde Timey Fair was created about 20 years ago by the late Teedie Tuttle, as a way to allow Scotland County residents the chance to participate and compete in a fair," Co-chairperson Juanita Bowen said. "This is the only event of its kind in Scotland County."

Entries are to be submitted at the Shaw cabin between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Oct. 8. Fair entries, ribbons, and prize money may be picked up between 4 and 5 p.m. on Oct. 11.

Adult categories for persons 19 years old and older include horticulture, flower arrangements, handicrafts, clothing, food preservation, baked goods, arts and jewelry. Holiday items and a miscellaneous category are also included.

"Sometimes we receive an entry that cannot be placed in a category," Bowen said, "so rather than not include the work, we created a miscellaneous option to cover everything else."

Bowen said that contest planners are encouraging participants to include more entries in the baked goods section this year.

"For the past few years, we have seen less submissions in baked goods," she said. "We would like to encourage more entries in this section, as well as seeing more participation in the youth division."

Categories for young persons ages 5 to 18 include clothing, arts, flower arrangements, handicrafts, foods and horticulture.

Norma Jones is the event co-chair with Bowen.

"People's imagination really surprises me from year to year when I see what they have created," Jones said. "We receive all kinds of things, from needlework, quilting and other crafts to homemade soap, photographs and paintings. In addition to the baked goods that Juanita mentioned, we would like to have more entries of garden items that participants have grown, as well as jellies and canned vegetables. We always end up with a room full of submissions, but we don't turn things away and would always like to have more."

Jones believes the creation of homemade goods and the continuance of a fair type event is essential to the heritage of the area.

"I grew up in a time when Scotland County had a county fair," Jones said. "My mother entered items that she had made all year. When the fair was discontinued, it left no place for people to showcase the things they were proud of. The Olde Timey Fair continues the heritage of Scotland County."

Entry forms may be obtained by visiting the Scotland County Co-Operative Extension Services Office at 231 East Cronly St. in Laurinburg, at Scotland Place, or at the John Blue House. More information may be obtained by calling the extension office at 277-2422 or Bowen at 276-6835.

This event is sponsored by the Scotland County Extension and Community Association and the John Blue Cotton Festival.