Letters: Fair judges should lighten up

To the editor,

Surprised to find so many categories of photo entries in this year’s Dakota County Fair art show with no blue ribbon winners, I was told by a couple of the helpers in the art building that, “if the judge doesn’t feel any of the entries are worthy of a blue ribbon, he doesn’t have to reward any.” I was taken aback by this explanation and replied, “This is a simple county fair, not a professional art show.”

Come on judges, loosen up and lighten up a little. We are merely amateurs. If the photo is the best in its category, shouldn’t it be rewarded a first place blue ribbon and not a second place red?

Having entered photos in the fair, off and on for the past 35 years, I’ve even noticed they’ve stopped awarding fourth, fifth, sixth place and honorable mention ribbons in each individual category, too.

I think it’s time to get some new judges for our county fair next year that see it as amateur art and not judge quite so much on a professional level.

Renee Kirchner,

Farmington

Tags: county fair, opinion, letters, farmington