CHENANGO COUNTY – The flower show at the Chenango County Fair has become a tradition over the 160 years that the fair has been taking place, but garden club members would like to see more people get involved with the fun and festivities.

For approximately 22 years, the Garden Clubs of Chenango County have been running the fair’s garden competition, and according to Anne Jackson and Barbara Zeller, of the Oxford Garden Club, many people are under the misconception that only garden club members can enter the contest.

“All residents of the county are invited to show their flowers at the fair,” Zeller said. The two woman are hoping to boost community involvement at this year’s competition, by spreading the message that all are invited to participate.

This year, the theme of the flower show is story time. The show is split up into two sections, each with a specific theme. The horticulture section will be based around a nursery rhyme theme. The design section of the competition will function around a fairy tale theme. Each category in the design competition will focus on a different fairy tale and those entering the design category will interpret the fairy tale in their own way.

“What makes it so exciting is to see the different ways people interpret things,” Jackson said.