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Community Corner

Apple Valley Woman Boasts 23 State Fair Ribbons in 14 Years

From salsa to afghans, Apple Valley resident Charity Thurston shares her state fair winning ways.

It all started with salsa.

“People really liked my salsa,” said Apple Valley resident Charity Thurston. “When my kids were at home, I made tons because it would go like crazy.”

So in 1997, she decided to enter her salsa in the Minnesota State Fair. To her surprise, she earned a second-place ribbon.

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Fourteen years later, Thurston is a seasoned state fair entrant, having entered “just about every year” since. She has entered baked goods, jams and jellies, crocheted afghans, baby quilts and probably more. It’s hard to remember it all, Thurston said.

“I’ve entered 28 to 30 times,” she said.

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Her hard work paid off. Thurston had won 20 ribbons up through last year, four of them blue and one a purple “Best of the Fair” ribbon.

This year, Thurston's two afghans .

Thurston, who grew up in Aitkin County, began competing at an early age. She entered a variety of items, including biscuits, in local 4-H contests.

“I kind of like competition," she said. "I enjoy doing it; I’m fairly good at it."

But she has learned not to second guess the judges.

“There have been years when I haven’t won any [ribbons],” Thurston said. “It’s hit or miss. Some years they like my stuff, other years it’s ‘eh.’ ”

Thurston’s best friend, Barb Bartholomew, recalled that Thurston didn’t let on when she first entered that salsa—until she won her ribbon.

“Charity’s success inspired me to enter the fair,” Bartholomew said. “You get addicted. It’s fun, very fun.”

Bartholomew, who has since won several ribbons herself, said that the women have an unspoken agreement not to compete against each other.

One of Thurston's entries this year was a multi-colored baby afghan.

“Baby afghans are a tough category,” she said. “You can score a 98 and not even get second place.”

But Thurston has no plans to stop entering. She’s recently started knitting, but doesn’t think she’s good enough yet to compete at knitting. Because she’s left-handed, she holds her needles differently, so it's challenging, she said.

But she’d like to enter some bread, she said, and who knows what else? Maybe even the knitting. After all, she once found crocheting tough for a leftie.

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