The Harvest Fair

The Harvest Fair runs every year from 16 October to 15 November (UTC) on the grounds of the Fair, with contests for the Ways, county-fair style. Each is judged out of thirty and gives a rosette against the standard — blue from 24, red from 18, yellow from 12, green for taking part — so everyone who enters comes away with something, and a good entry is a blue whoever else entered. Classes by age: junior (a young child or a child) and open (an adolescent or an adult). The best of each contest and class is shown on the Fair's board while it runs, and becomes its champion at the close.

The contests

• The Bake-off (the Trader's Way) — judged by Mother Pim, Marrow and Doc Pellory, each of whom has said what they're after this year. The hand bakes (only the hand makes food from nothing); the child presents. Ten things to choose from, a shape, and then the oven: a minute more, or out it comes.
• The Roshi Show (the Keeper's Way) — judged by Hollis. A roshi from the Plot as it is today, round the ring, stood square, a word. The breeder's contest: a roshi kept well and taught its words does best.
• The Tall Tale (the Lorekeeper's Way) — judged by Auster at the Inn, after supper. Four cards — where, who, what it did, and that's why something everybody in the Hollow knows — and then how to tell it.

Rosettes

A rosette goes on the profile beside the Gallery's, in the Almanac, and up on the Square's news under the child's name (never the member's). A champion's rosette, at the close.

See also: the Lantern Moon · the Ways · the Timeline