CULLMAN, Ala. – Before a photograph can earn Best of Show or a homegrown pumpkin can tip the scales, every Cullman County Fair entry begins with the same two steps: registering the exhibitor and obtaining the correct barcode stickers.
The 2026 Cullman County Fair will run Oct. 15-24 at the Cullman County Fairgrounds. Its non-livestock exhibits invite bakers, gardeners, artists, photographers, quilters, crafters and home canners to compete for ribbons and cash premiums.
This guide covers the registration process and master turn-in schedule. Separate articles will detail the food, creative arts and agriculture competitions.
Pageants, 4-H competitions and the Youth Pet Show will also be covered separately.
Who can enter
The fair is open to exhibitors from Cullman County and bordering counties. Open divisions may be entered by anyone, while Senior divisions are for people 65 and older.
Youth requirements vary by department, with several categories divided into specific age groups.
New exhibitors may register online through www.cullmanfair.org/entry-forms.
Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, the fair office will observe regular hours from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and can also register exhibitors.
Returning non-livestock exhibitors who participated in 2025 are automatically preregistered and do not need to submit another form.
The fair calendar says information packets and stickers will be mailed Friday, Oct. 2, to prior-year exhibitors and non-livestock exhibitors who registered online.
Parents must register each participating child in the child’s name rather than the parent’s name. FCCLA students register through their teachers.
Three stickers for every entry
Every exhibit requires three current-year barcode stickers. Entries cannot be accepted without them.
Stickers may be picked up in the Main Exhibit Building across from the fair office. The fair advises exhibitors to have the stickers in hand before carrying their entries into the building.
Additional stickers can be provided when needed, and late registrants may obtain theirs when arriving to turn in exhibits.
The general rule is one entry per person in each class unless a department’s rules specifically allow multiple entries.
Sewing and handicraft are among the departments that permit multiple entries per class.
Items generally must have been grown, made or assembled since the previous fair. Handcrafted articles, art and photographs that won premiums at a previous Cullman County Fair cannot be entered again.
Every exhibit remains under fair management while on display, and the fair does not assume responsibility for loss or damage.
When to bring each exhibit
Because the divisions do not share one deadline, contestants should use the schedule for their particular exhibit:
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: handicraft, sewing, canning, photography and art
- Sunday, Oct. 11, 1-5 p.m.: photography and art only
- Monday, Oct. 12, noon-5 p.m.: handicraft, sewing, canning and art
- Tuesday, Oct. 13, noon-5 p.m.: handicraft, sewing, canning and art
- Wednesday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m.-noon: baked goods
- Wednesday, Oct. 14, noon-5 p.m.: field crops, vegetables, fruit, honey, scarecrows, decorated pumpkins, flowers and potted plants
Canning, baking, sewing, handicraft, art and photography entries go to the Main Exhibit Building. Crops, plants and honey go to the Agricultural
Building.
The fair will judge exhibits from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15. The judging area will be closed to the public during that time.
How awards are handled
Each department publishes its own judging requirements and premium schedule.
Some provide detailed scoring, such as the baking department’s percentages for appearance, taste and texture.
Others leave the comparison to the judges without publishing a numerical scorecard.
Under the general rules, when only one exhibitor enters a class, the second-place premium is paid if the judges determine the entry merits an award. Judges may withhold awards for entries they consider unworthy, and positional ties are not permitted.
Standard class premiums in the principal exhibit departments are:
| Division | First | Second | Third | Special award or note |
| Baking, canning, sewing, handicraft, flowers and photography | $15 | $12 | $10 | Special contests may pay more |
| Regular crops and honey | $15 | $12 | $10 | Giant vegetables use separate scales |
| Open art, Amateur or Novice | $25 | $15 | $10 | One $100 Best in Show is selected across Open art |
| Open art, Professional or Advanced | $30 | $20 | $10 | Competes for the same Open Best in Show award |
| Senior art | $25 | $15 | $10 | Nursing home art is ribbon-only |
| Youth art | $15 | $12 | $10 | CCCDD art is ribbon-only |
Entries must remain on display through the fair. Exhibitors may retrieve their entries and premium checks from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. Checks not collected that day will be mailed.
Complete department rulebooks and registration information are available at www.cullmanfair.org/exhibitor-info.
The fairgrounds are at 1501 Sportsman Lake Road NW in Cullman. For assistance, call 256-734-0661 or 256-734-0339 or email cullmanfair0@gmail.com.
