Mercer County Seeks Exhibitors for 106th Annual 4-H Fair
Mercer County Executive Dan Benson and Mercer County 4-H invite residents to showcase their creative talents and skills at the 106th Annual Mercer County 4-H Fair.
The fair is an inspirational community event, celebrating agriculture, innovation, and the talent of Mercer County residents. The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, July 26, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, July 27. Admission and parking are free to all attendees.
“Each year our 4-H Fair provides an astounding showcase for the talents of our youth, while drawing families from across Mercer County and beyond for a weekend of wholesome family fun,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson. “If you’re an artist, craftsperson, or gardener, I hope you’ll consider submitting your latest work at the show.”
There are many ‘Open Division’ categories, open to public entries from both youth and adults. Entrants do not need to be 4-H members to exhibit. Any project created in the past year can be entered into the fair, including arts and crafts, photography, gardening, clothing, baking, woodworking, and more.
Visit https://mercer.njaes.rutgers.edu/4h/fair to find full details about exhibiting, as well as a complete schedule of the fair. Projects will be received from the general public for entry in the fair on Thursday, July 24, from 3 to 7 PM at Howell Living History Farm. In addition to judging by experts, the fairgoers will vote on their favorite exhibits in each category on Saturday, July 26. Those receiving the most votes will be recognized on Sunday, July 27.
Across both days of The Fair, visitors can enjoy animal shows, live music, farm tours, exhibits, children’s activities, hayrides, magic shows, and pony rides. Plenty of food and drink, including homemade ice cream, will be available for purchase. The opening ceremony for the fair will be held at 1 PM on Saturday, July 26 in the Show Tent. A country dance with a string band and a caller is scheduled for 6 PM on Sunday, July 27.
Mercer County 4-H is a youth development program operated by Rutgers Cooperative Extension which provides research-based, hands-on learning experiences for youth across Mercer. For more information about 4-H, or about entering projects in the fair, please contact Altaira Bejgrowicz at the Mercer County 4-H Office at 609-989-6830 or bejgrowicz@njaes.rutgers.edu.
For updates on Mercer County 4-H visit https://mercer.njaes.rutgers.edu/category/departments/4h/.
Howell Living History Farm is a facility of the Mercer County Park Commission. It is located at 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township.
Call for Art
The West Windsor Arts Council is seeking handmade, whimsical, and functional objects for its newly created year-round, consignment-style Artisan Market, opening in the art center lobby in the fall of 2025.
The Artisan Market will offer beautifully designed and crafted products aligned with our reputation of creating a welcoming and personal shopping experience for the community.
All artisanal products will be carefully selected for participation in the shop. As always, the focus is on you, the maker, your story, what makes your process unique, the history of your craft, your sustainable practices, and any other aspect of your business that would help customers understand who you are.
Promotion of the consignment shop will include emails to our list of more than 8,000 subscribers and local residents who support the arts, as well as through social media posts, mailers, individual promotions of each artisan with a link to their items in our shop, and more. Displays of Artisan information cards — including your artist statement, practices, materials you work with, and a bio of career highlights — will also be included. In addition, the art center lobby is a busy space all year long as parents wait for children in classes, as the entry point for events, and for volunteer activities and meetings.
Entries will be considered on a rolling basis through Thursday, July 31. Artisans are encouraged to enter early. WWAC will accept submissions as they are received and set up a meeting to determine the best fit of items and select inventory.
Selected artisans will enter accepted items into a shared spreadsheet by September 8, and artwork drop off takes place September 15.
The market open will be open from October 2025 to June 2026 at WWA and online.
West Windsor Arts will only accept handmade items made by the artisan and will not accept products sourced from others.
The prices you provide will be the retail price, and must be within 10 percent of the price the item is listed on your website or at craft shows.
There is no up front fee to enter items or for the initial consultation. A one time admin fee of $35 will be deducted from items sold during the term of agreement.
Sales exceeding $35 will be split with 50 percent to the artisan and 50 percent to West Windsor Arts. Remittance of payments will be made quarterly.
For more complete artisan guidelines or to enter your work visit www.westwindsorarts.org/call-for-art/artisan-market-2025-2026.
For Young Actors
Princeton Summer Theater offers one-day youth theater workshops for ages 5 to 15 from Mondays through Wednesdays, July 7 through 9 and July 28 through 30. Each session runs from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and costs $45.
“Intro to Acting,” for ages 5 to 8, is an opportunity to practice performance skills and build up confidence by learning the basics of acting through games, physical activity, and collaboration. Offered July 7 through 9 and July 28 through 30.
“Acting and Movement,” for ages 9 to 11, lets participants discover new ways to approach acting by learning about various physical performance techniques. Offered July 7 through 9.
“Shakespeare Workshop,” for ages 12 to 15, teaches participants how to unlock Shakespearean text with acting technique and text work. Offered July 7 through 9.
“Improv and Physicality,” for ages 9 to 11, lets young actors discover the role of physicality in acting technique through improvisational games and exercises. Offered July 28 through 30.
“Acting Intensive,” for ages 12 to 15, teaches different acting techniques through scenes, monologues, movement exercises, and games. All materials provided. Offered July 28 through 30.
For more information or to register visit www.princetonsummertheater.org/childrensprogramming.
