“EXTREME MAKEOVER” AT THE
FREDERICKTOWN TOMATO SHOW
by Janis Garcia,
Fine Handcrafters Chairman
You spoke, and we listened. You asked for an Exhibition instead of a Competition, you wanted more categories, you wanted to include more men in the show, you wanted to see the tables filled with more items . . . so many great comments and requests. For a number of years, now, the Tomato Show Board has recognized the need for a change in the Needlecraft portion of the show. One of the most popular parts of the Tomato Show for the last 32 years, much fine work has been entered in the Needlecraft Competition, and Fredericktown residents have proudly carried home thousands of ribbons.
Hobbies have changed over the years, though, as the dynamics of the family unit have changed. Men delving more into handcrafting hobbies, women working outside the home, the modern busy-ness of life . . . these are just a few of the challenges that spurred us on to a re-evaluation of the competition. Much prayer, thought, and research have gone into the changes that you’ll see in 2009. And we believe that we’ve got an exciting new show about to debut, allowing us to best represent all of Fredericktown’s fine-handcrafting hobbyists.
In fact, that brings us to the first change that you’ll notice: a new name! We’re delighted to announce the expansion in 2009 of the Needlecraft Competition, now to be known as the FINE HANDCRAFTERS EXHIBITION. Bigger show, bigger name! It isn’t just the name, either. It’s our very own, exclusively Fredericktown EXTREME MAKEOVER!
Of course, you’ll still find all of the same categories that you’ve come to know and love through the years; but you’ll also see many new Divisions and Categories, too. This means that there’ll be a lot more to see when you come to the Tomato Show. Of course, it also means that all of you hobbyists who physically live in the Fredericktown School District will have to start working now. Let’s fill up those tables this year!
The next exciting thing that you’ll notice is the expansion of divisions and categories. With TWELVE (12) large divisions, each filled with a long list of categories, we’re now able to better serve a wider variety of handcrafters. With more than 133 categories available (and one item per person per category), that’s A LOT of entry possibilities. What a chance to encourage others to take up your favorite handcrafting hobby! A lot of our entrants have told us that they got started because of something they’d seen at the Tomato Show in previous years. If you think you’ve seen it all, then you’re in for a treat this year, so don’t forget to stop in and check us out.
Newcomers to the show include Jewelry Making, Beading, Fly Tying, Spinning, Stuffed Pillows, and Woodcarving. You’ll also enjoy our new “Go Bucks & Freddies” Division, featuring entries with the team colors and logos. Even the classic divisions have expanded with new categories, so leave more time for your stay in the Handcrafters building.
Perhaps the biggest change that you’ll notice is the fact that we’ve gone NON-JURIED. (That’s really just a fancy way to say that our items will no longer be judged against each other.) Many other Shows around the state have already made this change, so it was easy to find ideas for the transition. Instead of awarding ribbons and prize monies from now on, we’ll be focusing on the very popular People’s Choice Awards. Visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite item in each of the twelve divisions, and the much-coveted Engraved Scissors and a People’s Choice rosette will be awarded to each of the twelve winners. We’ve got a treat for exhibitors, too: each person entering an item (or items) will receive one ticket for a $50 cash door prize, to be drawn at 7:00pm on Wednesday (the first night of the show). So, turn off that television and get going on those entries!
Of course, it will still be required that each piece be handmade by the entrant and have never before been entered in a previous Tomato Show. We’ll be accepting one entry per person per category, so be sure to bring in your very best pieces. See the Tomato Show book for full details. Of course, if you want to get an early start on things and just can’t wait for the book to be printed, you can always go to the Tomato Show website for information (www.tomatoshow.com). By the way, in case you’re curious about this year’s theme, just think “Fun in the Sun”. That should give you something to work on!
Thanks for all of your input. We’re excited about our new Fine Handcrafters Exhibition at the 2009 Fredericktown Tomato Show, but we need your help to make it work. We need qualified residents to bring their items in for all of us to enjoy, and we need everyone to visit the building and vote for their favorite pieces. What an exciting time. Join us in September for our very own Fredericktown Tomato Show EXTREME MAKEOVER! See you there!