From Pie Eating Contents to Pig Races, County Fairs Are Known for Competition. Butr Content that Had A Surge in Popularity in Recent Years Is One Might Not Excel: Competition Table Setting.
A 2021 Documentary About the Table Settings Competition at the Orange County Fair Called Set! And some highly-VIEWED Tiktoks Have Led to a Growth in the Number of Partications in the Content.
Veteran Tablescaper Bonny Overman Recalled Seever Than 20 Partications in 2019, The First Year She Participated at the Oc Fair. This YEAR, Fair Officials Say There Were More Than 60 Entries-Including First-Timers Like YouTubes Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart And emmy-winning Production Designer James ConnelllyWho doesnted their residence tablescaping journeys on social media.
What is competight table setting?
Some of the Table Setting Entries on Opening Day of the 2025 OC Fair.
Also Called Tablescaping (a term that was placeized by Food Network Host Sandra Lee In the 2000s), Table Setting Contents Don’t have anything to do with How Fat You Can
They’re Contents What Partications Choose from a theme – This Year’s Orange County Fair Competition Offered “Murder Mystery,“ Tropical Paradise, “Steampunk,” “A Table For the Gods,” And “Find your Happy” as Options-Make Up a Menu Tied to the Theme, and then Decoration A Mini-Sized Table with Place Settings that Match Match The Menu (List a Salad, But no Salad Fork? That’s. Points Off).
Listen: Antonia CEREIJIDO WENT to The Oc Fair to find out what it takes to win
No Basic Table Settings Need Apply.
How do you win?
First Off, there’s a lot of work incolved to make a display that will make up to the costite.
As Overman Put it, “I Never See any tables where people are just throwing studf to make up. This is Building, Construction, Sewing, Planning.”
Bonnie Overman’s Clue-THEMED ENTRY INTO The “Murder Mystery” Category.
At The weekend before the faire, participants get Four Hours to set up their displays.
That’s when the Judges Step in. This year there was four judges Evaluating the entities on these equallly-Weeded Criteria:
- Suitability for OCCASION and Theme (25%)
- Decorativeness/Eye-Appness (25%)
- Creativity and Origeline (25%)
- Correctness (25%)
There are also The Competition GuideLike a height Limit (6.5 feet), and between the use of any real food or disposable tableware.
And the Rules are Strict!
Lisa Minsky, Who Won “Best of Division” and “Most Creative” this year for her entry into the “Find Your Happy” Category, Recalled Being Docked Points the First Time Shy Entered the Competition in 2007.
Lisa Minsky’s Award-Winning Entry Features Miniators Showing Some of Her Happiest Dining Memories.
Minsky Inclieded a Champagne Bottle in Her Display that the Judges Determined Violated the “No Real Food” RULE. While she had poured the champagne out and put For that. ”
It’s not easy being a judge, ever.
Annie Morgan, a Chef Who Has Been Judging The Table Setting Competition for Two Years, SAID The Opening Day of the Fair is Stressful for Her, Because that’s when Partications can see them Won.
AN Table Setting Competition Entry Called “Sweet Memories at Farrell’s” SPORTS An Honorable Mentation Ribbon.
She likened Judging the Displays to Serving on a Jury in A High-PROFILILE CASE: “There are guidelines and the public dosn’t under the guidelines that the Jury Has, so they are the same. With a verdict that the public Can’t undertstand and will prutt Against.
The Scores and Judges’ Comments are posted next to the Table Setting Displays, and Sometimes The Partications Have Complains.
“If they have’N’T Won,” Morgan SAID, “They Get UPSet. And then I’m getting emails that I have to explain myself.”
What do you win?
Awards for First, Second, Third, Division Winner and Best of Show Include a Monetary Prize Ranging from $ 20 to $ 150, and then of course there are ribbons associated with each.
Other Awards that comes with Smaller Ribbons (and no Cash Prize) Include “Best Use Of Color” and “Best Napkin Folds.”
Why do people do it?
“You have Those people who just want to be creative,” Morgan Said. And then, “You have the people who love completing, and will to, you know, Dip their toe intaver that looks like.”
Minsky, Who’s Entertainment The Competition Four Times, Added: “It’s a Passion. Do that. ”
She also Likes Being Able to Incorporase What She Considers Her Main Hobbies, Painting and Miniators, INTO HER Designs.
Table Setting Entries in the “Tropical Paradise” Category, Including Tim Wyckf’s on the Right.
For Tim Wyckoff, a longtime tablescaper, The Initial Draw Was the Thrill of Winning.
Wyckoff Has Been Tablescaping for 30 years, Since He was a teenager, at the venetura county faire.
“I saw that the Little Tiny Table Settings that The Kids Got to Do Got these Giant Ribbons, and I’m Like, ‘OH, I Want that.
Wyckoff Said
“I was almost homeless. I was jobless,” He said. “So it was one of Those Things of Like, I Don’t have
This Year, Wyckff Took Home Second Place for His Tiki-The Product En And hea he’s not stopping tablescaping any time soon.
“I don’t Ever Wanna Stop,” He said. “Although it’s getting harder, hard to Top MySelf.
How to see it
What: OC Fair, Open Throw Aug. 17
Where: 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa
Info: Tickets, Hours and Instructions Can Be Found Here
