Exhibitor General Information

General

All animals and articles exhibited at the Fair must be the property of the exhibitor. All flowers, fruits and vegetables must have been grown by the exhibitor during the current year’s season. All handcrafted items must be the work of the exhibitor. All exhibits will be accepted subject to the laws of the State of Connecticut and the rules and regulations established for each department of the Fair, as stated under each department’s description, as well as in the rules outlined here. Any premium earned for any exhibit at the Fair will be forfeited if the exhibitor fails to abide by any of the rules and conditions outlined here, elsewhere in the Department descriptions or as part of the entry form process.

Entries

All exhibits are for the sole benefit of the exhibitor. The exhibitor agrees that the monetary amount of the exhibit is limited, and there will be no consequential damages from the exhibit’s damage, destruction or loss.

By submitting an exhibit to the Fair, the exhibitor hereby releases and agrees to hold harmless the Fair from any and all liability arising out of the exhibitor’s acts or omissions of the exhibitor, and the exhibitor agrees that the exhibit is exhibited at the owner’s risk. The Fair assumes no responsibility for any loss, injury or damage. The exhibitor also recognizes that the exhibit will be exposed to public display and, in some cases, contact. The Fair has the right to make decisions about position and location of an exhibit, including the right to move it, and this will also be at the sole risk of the exhibitor. This includes any transportation, loading or other physical manipulation of an exhibit by Fair personnel, which is performed as an accommodation to the exhibitor.

The Fair has the authority to refuse any exhibit it considers to be inappropriate to its reputation or image, and this includes the right to ask the exhibitor to remove the exhibit. Any items, actions or activities that are deemed by the Fair to be a threat to the safety of Fair patrons (weapons, offensive, material, etc.) cannot be displayed on the fairgrounds and will be removed from the fairgrounds.

In order to exhibit at the Fair, please complete the online entry form, downloadable form, or combination (depending on Department). Instructions about required information, as well as deadlines for submission and instructions on when to bring entries to the Fairgrounds, are included in Department descriptions.

No one, including exhibitors, will be allowed to enter the fairgrounds during the operating hours of the Fair for any reason, including the feeding of animals, without a valid admission ticket. As stated previously, a special, reduced-rate four-day pass is available only to exhibitors.

Premium Checks

Premium checks from the current year Fair must be cashed no later than April 1 of the following year. Any checks not cashed at that time will be considered a donation to the Fair.

Judging

No person will be allowed to interfere with the judging process. The exhibit of any person so interfering will be excluded from competition. Where there is no competition in a class, each animal or article will be judged and placed according to its merits.

Removal of Personal Skills and Plant Science Exhibits

Exhibits in the Personal Skills Department and Plant Science Department must be on the fairgrounds all four days of the Fair in order to be eligible for premium money. Premiums and awards will be forfeited (in total) for the exhibitor who removes any exhibits, unless otherwise stated, from the allotted space before 7 p.m. on Sun. (the last day of the fair).

We cannot allow vehicles to enter any part of the fairgrounds where crowds of people are present; therefore, no vehicles should plan to enter the fairgrounds before 8 p.m. on Sun. (the last day of the fair). The Fair may dispose of any exhibit not promptly claimed by an exhibitor after processing, or if an exhibitor fails to promptly remove a rejected exhibit.

Removal of Livestock Exhibits

No animals will be dismissed before 6 p.m. on Sun. (the last day of the fair). Premiums and awards will be forfeited (in total) for the exhibitor who removes any animals before 6 p.m. on this day. No trailers will be permitted in front of the barns for loading of exhibits. Exhibitors will be allowed entrance on a rotational basis after 6:45 p.m. Release times subject to Public Safety permission.

Vehicles on the Fairgrounds During Fairtime

No vehicle will be allowed to drive on the fairgrounds after 8 a.m. each day of the Fair. All vehicles must be removed from the fairgrounds to the proper parking lot by that time each morning. Any supplies not brought in by that time must be carried in from the parking lot. Vehicles will not be allowed on the fairgrounds before 8 p.m. on Sunday, (the last day of the fair).

People’s Choice Awards (Rosette Ribbons)

For departments that have it, these awards will be determined by fairgoers via a ballot process. Ballots will be tallied at the end of the day on Sun. (the last day of the fair). If the superintendent sees evidence that the ballot box was tampered with, those ballots will be removed and then the ballots will be tallied.