Do you bake what your family says is an “award winning” apple pie?
Is your chocolate cake downright delicious, or your angel food cake “incredible?”
Are you a young baker who likes a challenge?
If so, the Clinton County Fair invites you to enter the baking contests at this year’s Fair!
The 2026 Clinton County Fair runs August 1-8 at the Fairgrounds in Mackeyville, and there are four different baking contests people can take part in. Organizer Ruth Toner says each of the contests is open to any amateur baker who is a Pennsylvania resident, and one entry per person is permitted in each category.
“As chairperson of the specialty baking contests at the Clinton County Fair, I am excited for the 2026 Fair, and looking forward to all of the delicious looking entries. Last year’s first-place angel food cake won first-place at the state level, and you have that chance, too, by entering at the county level.
“I welcome all amateur bakers to enter,” says Toner. “We have contests for Angel Food Cake, Chocolate Cake, and Apple Pie, plus a junior baking contest for youth ages eight to 18.”
All of the baking contest entries are judged on a point system, with the most points being awarded for flavor. A copy of your recipe must also be submitted with your entry.
Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest
This year marks the 36th annual Blue Ribbon Apple Pine Contest. According to the statewide contest rules, the pie, including the fillings and crust, must be made from scratch with edible ingredients, and the recipe must include at least 60 percent apples in the filling.
“The information we received from the state encourages people to be creative with their pie,” says Toner. “For example, you don’t have to limit your pie to the traditional two-crusted apple pie, and people can use a variety of fillings in the pie, while still keeping in mind the filling must be at least 60 percent apples.”
The pie entries are judged based on flavor (aroma, taste, and good balance of flavorings); filling (consistency, doneness, moistness, flavor); crust (color, flavor, texture doneness); overall appearance (surface, shape, size and color); and creativity.
Toner adds, “There are a number of rules for each of the contests, so people should get one of the Fair premium booklets so they can see the rules first-hand.”
Homemade Chocolate Cake Contest
For the Homemade Chocolate Cake Contest, the cake recipe must feature chocolate or cocoa as a main ingredient. The entry must be a layered chocolate cake, not exceeding 12 inches high by 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep. In addition, the cake and any fillings and frostings must be made from scratch, and any decorations must be edible.
The judging criteria for the Chocolate Cake Contest includes flavor (aroma, taste and good balance of flavorings); inside characteristics, including texture, moist and tender crumb; frosting taste, texture and color; overall appearance (surface, shape, finished size, and color); and creativity.
Full contest rules can be found in the Clinton County Fair premium booklet.
Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest
Entries in the Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest must also be made from scratch, and any decorations must be edible.
Judging in this contest is also based on criteria, including flavor (aroma, taste and good balance of flavorings; inside characteristics (texture and lightness); overall appearance (surface, shape, size and color); and topping, icing and decoration.
Mackeyville resident Nikki Bechdel took the blue ribbon at last year’s Clinton County Fair with her raspberry coconut angel food cake, then went on to win a blue ribbon at the state level at the PA Farm Show in January.
A full set of rules for this year’s Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest is available in the Fair premium booklet.
Junior Baking Contest
The 2026 Junior Baking Contest is open to amateur bakers ages eight through 18 and features cookies, brownies and bars. The entry must be six individual-sized portions of the baked entry item. As with the other contests, all entries for the junior bakers must also be made from scratch, with edible ingredients.
The Junior Baking Contest is sponsored by PA Preferred, so at least two PA Preferred or locally produced ingredients must be used in the recipe. Some examples of qualifying ingredients include grains, butter, milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables.
“I enjoy seeing the young people participating,” says Toner of the Junior Baking Contest.
The overall rules for the Junior Baking Contest are available in the Fair premium booklet. Like the other contests, the judging criteria accounting for the largest number of points is flavor, followed by inside characteristic, overall appearance, and topping, icing and decoration.
“The guidelines for each contest are important. There typically are new rules every year,” emphasizes Toner. “I enjoy being chairperson of this department. See you at the 2026 Clinton County Fair!”
Registration for all four baking contests takes place Monday, August 3, from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. in the 4-H & Open Exhibit Building at the Fairgrounds. Entries are then judged by an independent panel of judges. That evening around 6:00 p.m., the blue-ribbon entries are auctioned off before a lively audience of bidders!
Blue-ribbon winners locally have the opportunity to participate at the state-level competition held in January 2027 as part of the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
Anyone wanting more information on the 2026 Baking Contests can reach out to Toner at 570-295-6763 or jams82@juno.com.