The Great Allentown Fair’s Premium List booklets, detailing procedures for entering and the categories for the fair’s blue ribbon competitions, are now available at the Allentown Fairground’s main and box offices. PDF versions of each book are available for downloading on the fair’s Web site: Allentownfairpa.org.

Placement ribbons and cash prizes are awarded in each of the exhibitor categories judged the weekend before and throughout fair week, Aug. 30 - Sept. 5. There are also contests for youths.

Amateur crafters, collectors, cooks, photographers and others have the opportunity to compete as do area farmers and gardeners. Entries in the competitive exhibit categories are displayed in Agri-Plex, the fair’s main exhibit hall, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network.

There are two guideline booklets, one for Agri-Plex entries and one for livestock entries. Deadline for registering livestock is July 16. Deadline for Agri-Plex entries is 6 p.m. Aug. 6. Ways to register are listed in the booklet.

The fair typically exhibits more than 1,200 farm animals and more than 9,000 products from farms, gardens and homes, including arts and crafts. There are 145 types of vegetables judged, excluding potatoes.

Pemium lists and applications for the special contests can be picked up at the fair office behind the Ritz Barbecue on the Allentown Fairgrounds at 17th and Chew streets, Allentown, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays- Fridays or by visiting the Fair’s Web site: allentownfairpa.org and downloading the list and applications there. For more information: 610-433-7541.

There are also Allentown Fair Special Culinary Contests sponsored by PenTeleData.

Extra-incentive prize contests described in the Fair Premium List require the completion of separate applications available at the Fair Office. These include:

1. 2016 PA Preferred™ Chocolate Cake Baking Contest sponsored by the PA State Association of County Fairs and PA Department of Agriculture’s PA Preferred™ program

2. Ultimate Fruit Pie Challenge sponsored by Ritz Barbecue

3. Mitzi’s Table Pulled Pork Sandwich-Slaw Contest

4. Pennsylvania’s Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest sponsored by Crystal Spring Farm

5. The Great American SPAM® Championship

6. Gold Medal Flour Cookie Contest

7. Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery’s Supreme Cheesecake Contest

8. 2016 PA Preferred™ Chocolate Cookie, Brownie or Bar Baking Contest for ages 8-18 sponsored by the PA State Association of County Fairs and PA Department of Agriculture’s PA Preferred™ program

9. Bechdolt’s Orchards Fresh Peach Dessert Contest

10. Best “No Bake” Dessert Contest sponsored by A&A Plumbing

11. The 4th Annual Cherylanne C. Neidlinger Memorial Lupus Awareness Contest “It’s Not Your Traditional Lasagna” Chopped Contest sponsored by Givler’s Auto Clinic Trailer Sales and The Neidlinger Family

12. Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest sponsored by Grim’s Orchard and Family Farms