New competitions coming to Kansas State Fair

If you haven’t entered a Kansas State Fair contest before because you aren’t a bread baker or a giant-pumpkin grower, you might have better luck with your ice cream topping or Christmas-tree-decorating skills.

Those are two of the new flavors of competition coming to the fair this fall. Announced earlier this year is the new barn quilt contest, and the beard and mustache contest that debuted last year will return.

Here’s a rundown of new contests announced Tuesday:

▪ Scherenschnitte, which is German for “scissor cuts.” It refers to the art of cutting paper into decorative designs. The competition will be judged in two age groups: youth (18 and younger) and adult (19 and older).

▪ Themed Tree. Decorate an artificial Christmas tree in the theme of your choice with store-bought or handmade decorations and battery-operated lights.

▪ Ice Cream Topping. Make a pint of homemade topping for ice cream. (Homemade ice cream remains its own contest.)

▪ Flavored Popcorn. Make popcorn in one of three categories — original, flavored or kettle corn.

Entries for the beard and mustache contest must be submitted by Aug. 26. Kits are available for the barn quilt contest (entries of 2 by 2 feet) for $3.

For more information, visit the fair’s website, kansasstatefair.com, or call 620-669-3621. The fair will be Sept. 9 to 18 in Hutchinson.

This story was originally published July 26, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "New competitions coming to Kansas State Fair."