Baking & Canning Contest

Think your pie, jam, or pickles are blue ribbon-worthy? Enter our Baking & Canning Contest at the festival!

 Prizes Include:
• $100 Best of Show
• $25 Shop Fruita Gift Certificate for First Place in each category
• A special recognition for the Most Unique Entry

Important Info:
• The festival reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not meet guidelines.
• While not required, the Mesa County Health Department recommends all participants obtain a Food Handlers Card in accordance with Cottage Foods guidelines.

Join the fun, show off your skills, and you could take home a prize (and bragging rights)!

Baking & Canning Contest Categories & Judging Criteria

Help us celebrate the harvest with your homemade creations — and don’t forget to bring the “Barnyard Bash” theme to life in your presentation! Creative ties to the theme will give you an edge with the judges!

Canning – Pickled Fruits, Vegetables, Pickles & Relish
Entries will be judged on:
• The satisfying “pop” of the seal
• Flavor and texture

Canning – Raw Fruits & Vegetables
Entries will be judged on:
• Seal “pop”
• Flavor and freshness

Jellies, Jams, Honeys & Syrups
Entries will be judged on:
• Seal “pop”
• Flavor profile

Bread Baking (Including Batter Breads)
Entries will be judged on:
• Presentation
• Taste and texture

Cakes & Cookies
Entries will be judged on:
• Presentation
• Taste

Pies & Cobblers
Entries will be judged on:
• Presentation
• Taste

Required Disclaimer
Please include the following disclaimer with your entry (either on a label or we will provide one for you at check-in):

“This product was produced in a home kitchen that is not subject to state licensure or inspection and that may also process common food allergens such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, milk, fish, and crustacean shellfish. This product is not intended for resale.”

Baking & Canning Contest Entry Drop-Off Details

All entries must be dropped off at:
The Christi Reece Group
130 E. Aspen Ave., Fruita, CO 81521

Drop-Off Times:
• Friday, September 26 – 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM
• Saturday, September 27 – 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Refrigerated items must be dropped off on Saturday morning only.

Labeling & Recipe Info:
• Each entry must include a label with the product name clearly marked.
• If you’d like to be considered for inclusion in the Fruita Fall Festival Recipe Book, please include a copy of your recipe with your entry.

Important Deadlines:
• All entries must be received by 11:00 AM sharp on Saturday, September 27, 2025
• Judging begins at 12:00 PM
• Winners announced at 3:30 PM on the Circle Park Stage

For questions, contact the Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce at 970-858-3894 or visit fruitachamber.org

Terms & Conditions
• The festival committee reserves the right to dispose of any entry at its discretion.
• The Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce, The Christi Reece Group, and all baking & canning sponsors are not liable for any incident related to the contest, including (but not limited to) the condition, container, quantity remaining, presentation, or perishability of your entry.
• Entry into the competition does not guarantee placement or a prize.
• Contest judges are not permitted to submit entries.

By submitting an entry, I confirm I have read and agree to follow all rules and conditions outlined for the 2025 Fruita Fall Festival Baking & Canning Contest. I acknowledge that by entering, I am providing a virtual signature that is as valid and binding as a physical signature.