Photo by RDNE Stock project
Current Competitions and Contests
Apple and Harvest Fair
Sunday October 12th 2025, Ramsey Rural Museum and Ramsey Walled Garden.
We are excited to bring two fun and festive contests to our community event. Will you enter both?
Image - Lauren Heather
Contest One: Wonky Veg
Have you grown the wonkiest veg in the Fens? Bring it along and find out!
How to enter:
Bring your wonkiest home-grown vegetable or funniest fruit to the Apple and Harvest Fair by 12pm on Sunday 12th October 2025. Register it at the contest zone to receive a numbered entry card to display alongside your produce.
You will need to leave us your name and a contact telephone number (belonging to a responsible adult if the entrant is under 18). This will only used if you need to be contacted about a prize. It would be so much better if you're there in person though! Your details will be held securely by event staff on the day and for two weeks after the event if we have not been able to reach you immediately.
How a winner is selected:
We are awarding two prizes - Most Popular Choice and Judge's Choice.
Everyone who comes to the Apple and Harvest Fair, no age limit, will each be given a red coloured sticker to vote with as they enter the event. As they visit the contest zone between 12pm and 3pm, they will assess the entries and place their sticker on the entry card of their favourite item. Our guest judge will make their assessment at 3pm.
Winners will be announced at the Apple and Harvest Fair on Sunday 12th October 2025 at approximately 3.45pm.
What you can win:
These details are still being finalised but it will be worth it! At the very least, one lucky winner will leave with a season's worth of wonderfully wonky but still delicious fruit and veg! Have an idea for a grand prize worthy of the Fen's favourite veg, or something your organisation can donate or sponsor? Let us know!
Some rules:
- Produce must have been grown locally by the entrant/entrant’s immediate family.
- One entry per person.
- All entries should be displayed in the designated competition zone by 12pm on Sunday 12th October 2025. Later entries can be accepted, but could miss out on popular choice votes!
- Only red stickers placed on the entry card in the contest zone will count as a vote.
- All entries must be left at the event, to be entered into the grand prize.
- Prizegiving will take place at approx 3:45pm on Sunday 12th October. Absentee winners will be notified accordingly and will have two weeks to collect their prize from the Ramsey Heights Nature Reserve (if it is a physical item). After this time, all contact details will be destroyed and the prize withdrawn. Elements of the prize that could be resold or gifted elsewhere may be so. Remember, we'd rather celebrate you in person!
- Judge's decision is final!
Image: Sergio Zhukov
Contest Two: Fentastic Scarecrows
What kind of scarecrow do you think would best represent our theme of 'Spirit of the Fens'? Get your members, colleagues, friends and students together to make it!
How to enter:
Your local (Ramsey and surrounding villages) community group/club/school/business will create a scarecrow and dress it in any way that you think best represents the theme 'Spirit of the Fens'.
You will need to pre-register your entry using this form by Wednesday 1st October with the name of your group/organisation, a contact person (over 18) and their contact details. This will be used to confirm your participation and if you need to be contacted about a prize. This pre-registration allows us time to allocate you a location at the event for display and add it to the brochure map so voters can find it.
On Saturday 11th October between 10am and 4pm, you will set up your scarecrow at the Ramsey Rural Museum and Walled Garden ready for the event the next day and can add any finishing touches. They can be freestanding or secured to a post. Please let us know if you need us to supply the post. On A4 paper, please display your organisation name, your scarecrow's title and you may add a description if you want to explain your design in more detail.
We will photograph your entry and display these on a board in the contest zone for voting. Each photo will be numbered and named to match your registration form.
How a winner is selected:
We are awarding two prizes - Most Popular Choice and Judge's Choice.
Everyone who comes to the Apple and Harvest Fair, no age limit, will each be given a blue coloured sticker to vote with as they enter the event. They'll see your scarecrows on display around the site. As they visit the contest zone between 12pm and 3pm, they will place their sticker on the photo card of their favourite scarecrow. Our guest judge will make their assessment at 3pm.
Winners will be announced at the Apple and Harvest Fair on Sunday 12th October 2025 at approximately 3.45pm.
What you can win:
These details are still being finalised but it will be worth it! Have an idea for a grand prize worthy of the most Fentastic Scarecrow, or something your organisation can donate or sponsor? Let us know!
Some rules:
- Your scarecrow should be made from scratch. We actively encourage using recycled materials.
- Your scarecrow can be a maximum of 2m tall and must stand in a space 1m x 1m. You may add props and accessories as long as they fit within your display zone.
- One entry per organisation or two if a school.
- All scarecrows should be brought to and installed in their designated space at the Ramsey Rural Museum or Walled Garden by 4pm on Saturday 11th October 2025.
- Your scarecrow must be appropriate for a family event.
- Only blue stickers placed on the photo card in the contest zone will count as a vote.
- All entries must be removed from the event between 4-6pm on Sunday 12th October 2025.
- Prizegiving will take place at approx 3:45pm on Sunday 12th October. Absentee winners will be notified accordingly and will have two weeks to collect their prize from the Ramsey Heights Nature Reserve (if it is a physical item). After this time, all contact details will be destroyed and the prize withdrawn. Elements of the prize that could be resold or gifted elsewhere may be so. Remember, we'd rather celebrate you in person!
- Judge's decision is final!
(These descriptions and rules are subject to change and all participants will be informed if they do.)