Blfrijncntor Fanning, Saturday, Octobar 2, 1993 Pum Personalities Are Fair Winners JOYCE BUPP York Co. Correspondent YORK (York Co.) Oscar the faces was a zoo-ful of animals of Grouch came to the York Fair. all sorts. Farm animals included a So did Pete the Dragon. bright pink pig and a rather unusu- They stayed for the entire nine al cow, with an orange and black days of the fair in a big tent, along coat. A sleek black and white pen with other famous folks like Santa guin stood guard over the group, Claus, Mother Goose and Garfield not too far from a quiet, small, the Cat. Thousands of visitors to gray elephant, the fair stopped by the tent to see Snakes curled in some comers One huge pumpkin entered In the contest came as a glam, green, sea turtle, complete with a butternut-squash head. A top wirtner In the York Fair’s pumpkin decorating con test “snakes" around Its trophy prize. There was at least one orange and black cow at the York Fair • this entry in the pumpkin decorating contest wearing a first-place blue ribbon. them. Along with the more famous (0 and an over-sized honeybee buzzed among some brushy grass. Even the black skunk with its tell tale white stripe down its back seemed to fit in with this mixed group. From under the sea came a scu ba diver, one very large, very shiny, giant green sea turtle, and an octopus with tenacles dangling in all directions. What brought this unusual gathering of characters together was the annual York Fair pumpkin decorating contest. There were more than 800 entries in the con test from children representing all of York County’s school districts. The contest actually began last spring, when Rutter’s Dairy and Farm Stores, Agway and the York Fair made pumpkin seeds avail able for children to plant and grow for the summer gardening season. Pumpkins could be entered in a class for the most perfect speci men or in the decorating classes. If their pumpkin growing was unsuccessful, kids who wanted to enter the contest could instead buy one to decorate. Pumpkin “outfits" were as simple as bright colors splashed on with a paintbrush to fancy, col orful costumes. Some pumpkin faces wore wigs, ears, jewelry, hats and collars. Selected as one of the champion pumpkins was a large, curled, neck-type pumpkin, which had a neat, but simple, snake face, and triangular snake-like markings painted along its length. Another champion was actually three pumpkins fastened together, dressed in shirt, overall, socks, shoes,and complete with face, hair and hat The pumpkin contest has become one of the York Fair’s favorite attractions for both kids and parents. Kids who enter like to compare how well they did with other pumpkin decorators and maybe get some ideas for the next contest. And, in the York Fair pumpkin contest, each pumpkin is a winner. Every single entry home with Entries In the pumpkin decorating Included football players, clowns with multi colored curls, a small, gray elephant and a large black and white dog. Perched on the champion display table at the pumpkin contest was this three pumpkin-stuffed person which took a top prize. This little piggy went to the fair.
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