Calling all bakers: Carbon fair just around the corner

Get out your baking supplies, dig out your favorite recipe, and start practicing.

The Carbon County Fair is calling all bakers for the Special Baking Contests to be held Aug. 3.

• PA Preferred Chocolate Cake contest (adult) and PA Preferred Chocolate Cookie, Brownie, or Bar contest (youth ages 8-18): Contestants are encouraged to use as many Pennsylvania-produced ingredients as possible in their chocolate baking recipes.

For a list of member locations, visit www.PAPreferred.com.

Carbon County Fair's contest is a preliminary competition that leads to the selection of the final PA Preferred Chocolate Baking blue ribbon winners each January at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.

First-place winners will be awarded a prize of $25 for the winning chocolate cake and $30 for the winning chocolate cookie, brownie or bar.

• Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest: When entering your cake, it must be made from scratch and using eggs produced in Pennsylvania.

First-place winner will receive $25. Carbon County Fair's contest is a preliminary competition that qualifies the first place winner to enter at PA Farm Show.

• Blue Ribbon Apple Pie baking contest: Entry to be a pie that must include at least 60 percent apples in the filling. It does not need to be a "traditional" two-crusted apple pie and it can have a variety of fillings.

The first place winner will receive $25 and qualify to participate at PA Farm Show.

• The Senior Special Contest features a Pumpkin Cake recipe (adult) that is listed in the Premium Guide on page 93. Entry must follow the designated recipe.

• For youth ages 8 to 16 there is a special contest for Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Contestants can use their favorite recipe. First place winners will each receive $10.

For a complete list of rules, visit www.carboncountyfair.com or contact contest coordinator Kristin Simmons at 570-778-9026.

The contests are open to residents in Carbon County and West Penn Township, Schuylkill County. Deadline to register is July 18th.

The fair will be held Aug. 3-8 on Little Gap Road in Palmerton.

There is a general admission fee of $5 per person for the fair; although children under 6 are admitted at no charge.

Admission includes musical entertainment.

There is an additional fee for arena events for those 6 years and older.

For more information about the fair, go to the website at www.carboncountyfair.com or call 610/826-1862.

You may also send a self-addressed stamped envelope to receive a fair brochure, by mail to: Carbon County Fair, PO Box 633, Lehighton PA 18235-0633.