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2026 Bucket of Junk Contest

• Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 12:00 PM - 12:00 PM

Join in the fun of the second annual Bucket of Junk Contest at the Oswego County Fair! 

Create a sculpture using only the items - and all of the items! - in the bucket - but not the bucket - provided to you by Cooperative Extension of Oswego County and based on the Oswego County Fair’s theme: Farm, Family, Freedom. The finished sculptures will be displayed in the Agriculture/Domestic Arts Building for the entire fair!

People’s Choice is awarded a tangible prize.
First in each division is awarded a tangible prize.
No cash premiums will be awarded. 

Classes: Based on age as of January 1, 2026:

• Individual Youth (12 years of age and younger)
• Individual Youth (13-18 years of age)
• More than 1 youth (mixed ages of youth) No adults
• Family
• Individual Adult
• Group of Adults, ex., business, church, club...

General Information

1. Open to ANY interested parties of ALL ages. This is NOT a 4-H Members Only competition.
2. The contest is limited to 15 applicants (individual or team) and will be on the first come first serve basis. There will be a waiting list to replace any applicant that drops out of the contest before the fair, as well as any applicant that does not collect their bucket of supplies.
3. Buckets must be picked up at the Oswego County Fair on Saturday, June 6, 2026 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If you cannot make this time period, arrangements for an alternate time can be made with the superintendent prior to pick up date.
4. Sculptures are to be dropped off at the Agriculture/Domestic Arts Building on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. If this is not a convenient time, please contact the superintendent before June 28, 2026 to schedule an appointment for drop off. No exceptions. When delivering your sculpture, please return your bucket.
5. Sculptures are to be picked up on July 5, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. or Monday July 6, 2026 from10:00 a.m. to Noon. Any sculpture not claimed by Noon on July 6th will be disposed of.

Judging Criteria

1. Contestant used only the materials that we provided (required). 25%
2. Contestant used materials in a new way to create something different. 25%
3. Contestant’s ideas are recognizable (clarity of idea). 25%
4. Contestant’s overall finished appearance of the sculpture, including the difficulty of the piece and how well it was made. 25%

Presentation

1. The objective of “Bucket of Junk” is to create a sculpture using only the items in the bucket. A sculpture is defined as a three-dimensional work of art that can be viewed from 360°.
2. All sculptures must be submitted and presentation ready to be accepted. Sculptures not meeting this requirement may not be judged.
3. Judges must know where you used each item in the bucket. Please note, you must use each item provided. You do not need to use the entire item in the sculpture, but there must be enough used to make it visible. The only optional pieces in the bucket are the packaging from different items i.e. cardboard packaging, plastic bag, etc. However, if you want to use it, you may, but they are not mandatory.
4. You may not add any additional items to your sculpture. Only the items in the bucket are permitted to be part of your sculpture. The bucket may not be used as part of the sculpture. There will be a list of contents in each bucket. Please indicate on the list where each item was used. Please return this list completely filled out when you drop off your sculpture.
5. You can cut, sand, glue, weld, bolt, fasten, bend, shape, curl, staple, and paint these items to make your sculpture.
6. You may connect your entry to a solid base for stability, if needed. The base CANNOT be part of the sculpture. The base must also be smaller than the sculpture, and it is NOT to be painted. The base will not be considered part of your sculpture so it will not be judged.
7. The bucket and contents list must be returned when you bring the sculpture to the fairgrounds for display. The bucket is not to be used as part of the sculpture.
8. Any sculpture larger than 24L x 24W inches will automatically by disqualified.
9. Your sculpture must be completely finished when it arrives. No painting, construction, etc. will be allowed.

Fee

There is no fee to enter but registration is required.

Register

https://bit.ly/4rDvgVy

Location

Oswego County Fairgrounds
291 Ellisburg Street
Sandy Creek, NY 13145

Last updated March 17, 2026