Hopkins County | Extension
The 2019 Hopkins County Fall Festival is just a few months away, and applications are now being taken for the Arts & Crafts Show. This event is one of the highlights of the Fall Festival and benefits three groups of people – those who have hand-crafted items to sell, those who wish to purchase one-of-a-kind items, and those who are seeking a fun, family-friendly event.
The two-day event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25 and 26 at Sulphur Springs High School. Both inside and outside spaces are available. Set up will be Friday, Oct. 25 starting at 7:30 a.m. Hours for the Arts & Crafts Show are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
Response has been good, and applications are coming in weekly. You do not have to be from Hopkins County to have a space. As a matter of fact, we even have crafters from other states who bring their wares.
For guidelines and a copy of the application, please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or drop by 1200 West Houston Street in Sulphur Springs.
Another crowd-pleaser is the Hopkins County Fall Festival Creative Arts Contest. This is a judged event with public viewing available. Entry categories are Art, Baked Goods, Clothing, Creative Crafts, Decorated Cakes, Food Preservation, Handiwork, Holiday Corner, Horticulture, Photography, Quilts and Woodworking. Age divisions are: Children (ages 10 and under), youth (ages 11-19), adults (ages 20-69), advanced adults (70 and older), as well as a division for nursing homes and assisted living residents.
The Creative Arts contest will take place in the Sulphur Springs High School conference center. Entries will be judged on Friday morning, Oct. 25 and open for public viewing when judging is completed until 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. Best of Show winners will have pictures taken at 1:30 p.m., after which all entries should be picked up.
Due to space limitations, this contest is open only to Hopkins County residents. For more information on categories and guidelines, contact the Extension Office and watch for more detailed information in the coming weeks.
TWO COOKING WELL SERIES
I’m pleased to announce that two excellent program series will take place in September. “Cooking Well for Healthy Blood Pressure” is a three-lesson series focusing on DASHING Your Way to Improved Health; A Virtual Grocery Store and learning to read and compare nutrition labels; and Cooking Well for Healthy Blood Pressure with Spices and Herbs to reduce salt, fat and sugar in recipes. The dates are Sept. 9, 12 and 16 at 1:30 p.m. Cost for the series is $20. All sessions will take place at the Hopkins County AgriLife Extension Office.
Another excellent series, “Cooking Well with Diabetes” will take place on Sept. 16, 19, 23 and 26 at 6 p.m. at the Extension Office. This popular series is beneficial in helping individuals with diabetes and their spouses, parents and caregivers have a better understanding of how carbohydrates affect blood sugar; learning healthy cooking methods; reducing sodium, fat, and sugar; and celebrating sensibly with diabetes. The cost of this series is $25.
Both of these series will provide materials, cooking demonstrations and sampling. In order to prepare adequately, reservations are requested. Call the Hopkins County A&M AgriLife Extension Office at 903-885-3443 to sign up.
WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Our office is undergoing a major facelift due to settling and water issues, but we are open for business as usual. You’ll notice scaffolding around the building and plastic over the windows, but that hasn’t slowed down what takes place inside. We recently completed our fifth annual Skills Camp, and now, we’re gearing up for fall events, so please stop by and visit. If by chance we have to find an alternate location due to indoor repairs for the above-mentioned series, we’ll be sure to announce updates.