Fruit & Veggie Sculpting Contest

Ever looked at a bell pepper and thought "that could be an owl"? Or thought a watermelon looked suspiciously like Cinderella's carriage? Now's your chance to prove it.

At this year's Pottawatomie County Free Fair, Pogo has teamed up with Pottawatomie County 4H and the Pottawatomie County Fair Board for the fair's first annual Fruit & Vegetable Sculpting Contest. Round up your fruits and vegetables of choice, form a team of up to 3, and come turn a pile of produce into whatever your imagination cooks up — critters, castles, a squirrel made entirely of apple slices, you name it.

All ages are welcome. Judges will crown 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place cash prize winners (1st - $100, 2nd - $50, 3rd - $25). Plus, if you shop for your produce supplies at FireLake Discount Foods, you can bring your receipt for reimbursement on your fruits and veggies for up to $20.

Grab your produce-loving pals and register today!

COMPLETE COMPETITION RULES

• There will be an 8 team minimum for the contest to take place.  

• Teams will consist of 2-3 team members.

• There will be two team divisions. The age and grade will be as of September 12, 2026:

  • Junior Division:  minimum age 8 years old to 18 years old

  • Senior Division:  18 years and older

• Teams will report to the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Conference Center for check-in by 11:00am on September 12, 2026. 

• An orientation will be provided for all participants beginning at 11:00 am.

• Each team will be directed to their preparation station after the orientation. 

• Teams will provide their own food for preparation.  All fruits and vegetables used in arrangement must be edible. 

  • If fruit and vegetables are purchased from Firelake Discount Foods (Shawnee, Tecumseh, or McLoud locations), we invite you to bring your receipt with you to the competition for reimbursement of your fruit and vegetable supplies up to $20. Reimbursement will be made in the form of a $20 FireLake Foods gift card with receipt. Reimbursement will not be made without a receipt.  

• NO work (cutting, scoring, slicing, etc.) can be done on fruits and vegetables before the contest.  No precut fruits or vegetables can be used.  All work must be done during the contest.         

• Toothpicks or non-edible items can be used to hold arrangements together.

• Gloves, trash bags, paper towels, disposable table cloth, and a first aid kit will be provided.

• Each team will have 45 (forty-five) minutes to prepare the dish, and clean up the preparation area.  

• Electricity will not be available at the contest.  Teams should select their recipe with this in mind.

• Each team must provide their own equipment.  Washing facilities will not be available for teams to wash and share equipment.  NO preparation dishes or serving dishes are to be cleaned on the premises.

• 7. Clean-up:  Teams must clean up their preparation areas.  Clean-up time is included in the 45-minute preparation allotment.  Teams should not plan to have access to a kitchen facility; therefore, dirty dishes should be placed in a plastic container, bag or box to be cleaned at home.  Leftover food should be disposed of properly.

• Food safety:  Teams should practice proper food safety. For more information about good food safety practices visit: https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/keep-food-safe

• Placings will be based on rankings of teams by judges.  Judges’ decisions are final.  1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd placings will be awarded.

• Judging will be conducted at the conclusion of the 45-minute preparation allotment. 

• The awards program will be held at the conclusion of the judging allotment.     

• Registration is open August 15– September 10, 2026.   

This competition is hosted by Pottawatomie County 4H and Pogo in partnership with the Pottawatomie County Fair Board.