Blue-ribbon contenders and community activists, you’ve got just a few summer weeks to roll crusts, whittle willows, simmer jam, plump peppers and envision a better neighborhood:
Colorado State Fair
1,500 competition classes in 12 departments plus special contests.
When and where: Aug. 24-Sept. 3 in Pueblo. Entry deadlines vary, but begin in late July.
Fees: $1 to $5; discounts for multiple entries
More: coloradostatefair.com has competitions and deadlines. General-entry office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Denver County Fair
There’s — among the contests are fly tying, robots and a zombie pageant.
When and where: Aug. 10-12 at the National Western Complex; denvercountyfair.org. Enter competitions online by July 26.
A bonus: $1 of your $5-per-item entry fee goes to that particular pavilion’s chosen charity.
Denver Art Museum
in “Open for Design: A DAM Community Challenge.”
When and where: Register submissions by July 27; submissions can be “an object, a model, a sketch or even a photograph,” as long as it fits into a 2-by-2-by-2-foot space. Guidelines are online at denverartmu seum.org, and visit blogs.den verpost.com/coloradoathome to
