Children as young as 2 paraded around the Livestock Pavilion Friday afternoon with their farm animals for the La Plata County Fair’s Pee Wee Showmanship event.
The event was open for ages 2 to 8, and every participant was awarded a ribbon and a gift sack.
Durango local Scotlyn Bobbin, 3, put on a poised show Friday afternoon with her 2-month-old lamb, Lamborghini, affectionately called “Lambo” by Scotlyn. A local dressmaker made Scotlyn a custom lamb dress to wear for the event.
Scotlyn, who also participated in the Pee Wee Showmanship last year, said her favorite part of going to the fair this year was getting to spend time with Lambo.
Scotlyn’s older sister, Aubrey Mckellips, who entered two adult sheep for judging this year, will be bidding goodbye to 4-H in the fall after 10 years of involvement as she heads off to Fort Lewis College.
Mackenzie Swanemyr, 16, mentioned in The Durango Herald’s Friday story about the fair, won Grand Champion in her category for her show steer, Pope.
“I feel pretty good,” she said with a smile as a crowd of supportive friends and family gathered around to congratulate her on Friday afternoon after her win.
Gracie Piccoli, 12, dresses as a Nannay with her chicken Lavender on Saturday during the chicken costume contest at the La Plata County Fair at the fairgrounds. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Master Gardener Heather Houk co-judged entries for both flowers and vegetables with landscape architect, former floral company owner and accomplished grower Lisa Bourey this year.
The Champion Table in the agriculture room featured, among other winners: Sherry Exum with Grand Champion for her Lily Asiatic Pink flower; elementary schooler Gretl K. Stegner with Reserve Champion for her Gallardia Blanket flower; and the Together We Grow organization with Best of Show for its cowboy boot floral arrangement. Bourey and Houk said the boot was donated right off the foot of a Together We Grow member.
Houk said she and Bourey made a great team between Houk’s scientific, agriculture and botany expertise, and Bourey’s keen eye for what makes the perfect plant.
“I always learn things from her,” she said of Bourey. “She’s like my education and experience teacher. She's so meticulous – it's awesome.”
Houk and Bourey came to mutual decisions on winners based off the judging criteria listed in the fairbook and their own trained eyes for what constitutes prime vegetables and flowers.
“We’re really looking for the same things in both floral and veg and agriculture,” Houk said. “If it’s full of bug holes because the grasshoppers got to it first, then that kind of gets you marked out. We’re looking for that skill piece, and overall health, (but it also) really is a beauty contest – there’s an aesthetic component.”
“It took us forever, but it was really fun,” she said of the judging process.
Houk’s favorite part of the fair is seeing the valuable lessons kids learn from participating in events and contests.
“It’s great for kids to learn how to, in some ways, live with disappointment, and also enjoy success when it comes,” she said.
“Like that little girl, Gretl (Reserve Grand Champion winner) – she was, like, three feet off the floor. She had won some other ribbons, and was looking around at the other tables, and I (was) like, ‘Miss Gretl, have you looked at the championship table yet?’ She didn’t even think to look over there.”
Saturday’s lineup included the Youth Carnival and the Family Dance on the Patio, and today will feature Cowboy Church, the 4-H/FFA Catch-It Contest, and an open exhibition hall until 1 p.m.
In past years, Saturday’s events also included the Demolition Derby and the community barbecue. This year, the barbecue has been removed from the lineup, and the Derby will take place Aug. 16 in Ignacio.
Fair Director Amy Peterson said plans are in the works to pad next year’s Saturday lineup with additional exciting events, and hopefully reinstate others, like the barbecue.
Longtime fair volunteer and La Plata County Fair Board Vice President Gwynna Reinhardt said the regulars in the crowd and the crew who work so hard to make the fair possible have started to feel like family over time.
Peterson echoed this sentiment.
“This is a time for people that don’t get to see each other – except for one time a year – to come out and enjoy each other,” she said.
On Saturday, Reinhardt said quilt and flower entries were up this year, with flowers receiving a record 169 submissions. Photography, baking and vegetable entries, on the other hand, were slightly down.
“It’s really going well,” she said, sizing up the 2025 La Plata County Fair. “We were afraid because we lost the derby, we thought things would go downhill. But there’s a lot of people here today, so I have a very positive outlook.”
She said attendance is still climbing year after year after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reinhardt is involved with the baking contest. She said baking always has many beginner entries. She recommended choosing a tried and true recipe to submit for judging and not to try a brand new recipe.
Entrants often seek advice for improvement after judging is complete, she said, encouraging more people to join in next year.
Barb Morgan, who helped with quilt entries, said participation was strong this year with about 111 entries.
Quilt judges follow a rubric that looks at piecing, appliqué, bordering, quilting, bindings, special techniques, visuals, patterns and general appearance. Sometimes, people team up to work on individual aspects of a quilt.
Morgan said judges always try to include positive comments about every entry to encourage novice quilters to sharpen their skills and enjoy the craft.
Like with baking, quilting often receives many beginner entries. Sometimes, beginners are apprehensive about submitting their quilts. Morgan said they should, because one never knows what might catch the judges’ or crowd’s eyes.
“The best part is, is when people have put in a quilt that have never put in a quilt before,” she said.
She said a great example is a piece this year called “Jack Pumpkin + 2 Crows” by Marilyn Clinniger and Kim Goodwin. The creators almost didn’t submit the quilt, but they did and ended up claiming a first place blue ribbon and the title of Reserve Champion.
“That’s the best part: to see people taking the chance or taking the time, and they come back and they have a ribbon,” she said.
In addition to the judges’ awards, there is the People’s Choice Award, and there’s no telling what piece might catch the affection of the people.
Morgan said she has helped with the quilting event for over 20 years and she is passionate about quilting herself. She loves quilting because it’s a craft she is still learning new things about.
epond@durangoherald.com
cburney@durangoherald.com
La Plata County Fair schedule of events
For the complete schedule and more information, visit https://laplatacountyfair.com.
- 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Exhibits Open to Public (Exhibit Hall).
- 9 a.m.: 4-H Dog Show (Exhibit Hall).
- 9 a.m.: Judging Open Class Beef, all classes (Livestock Pavilion).
- 10 a.m.: Rooster Crowing Contest (Small Animal Barn).
- 10 a.m.: FFA Showmanship (Livestock Pavilion).
- 11 a.m.: No Limits Livestock Show (Livestock Pavilion).
- 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Saturday at the Fair Youth Carnival (Durango Baseball Field).
- 2 p.m.: Rabbit Costume Contest (Small Animal Barn).
- 5 p.m.: Silver Awards Presentation (Patio).
- 5:45 p.m.: Fair Royalty Crowning (Patio).
- 6 p.m.: Junior Livestock Sale (Livestock Pavilion).
- 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Fair Family Dance (Patio. $5 per person at the door to benefit La Plata County 4-H).
- 8 a.m.: Cowboy Church (Pavilion).
- 8 a.m.: Carcass Animals Loaded (Livestock Barns).
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Exhibits Open to Public (Exhibit Hall).
- 11 a.m.: 4-H/FFA Catch-It Contest (Livestock Pavilion).
- 1 to 2 p.m.: Payment of Premiums (Fair Office).
- 1 to 2 p.m.: Exhibits Released (Exhibit Hall).
- 1 to 4 p.m.: Booths Taken Down (Exhibit Hall).
- 1 to 2 p.m.: Poultry & Rabbits Released (Small Animal Barn).
- 1 p.m.: Animals Released (Livestock Barns).
- 4 p.m.: Demolition Derby (gates open at 2 p.m.), Sky Ute Fairgrounds, Ignacio. $15.
