Cumberland Fair

2025 Fair

The Tin Pedlar’s have an annual tradition of participating in the Cumberland Fair through a member exhibit and demonstrating in the exhibit hall.  This year’s fair is Sunday, September 21, 2025 through Saturday, September 27, 2025. Members of Tin Pedlar of Maine are welcome to participate in the exhibit and encouraged to demonstrate and share the art of rug hooking with fair attendees. 

Ways Tin Pedlar members can be involved: 

  1. Enter a rug(s) into the Tin Pedlar of Maine exhibit (you don’t have to enter your rug for judging).  Rugs must have not been exhibited at the fair before and ideally finished within the last year.
  2. Create a bee for the collaborative art display the guild is putting together in honor of the “Be a Farmer” theme.
  3. Demonstrate and share the art of rug hooking with fair attendees. Link to Sign Up Demonstrators will receive a donation in the mail post fair from the Cumberland Fair (please make sure to put your mailing address on the sign up form). Bring your hooking to demonstrate.  There will be one puritan frame in our space that you may use.  Bring your hooking and materials to demonstrate with, we will have a set up for interested people to try their hand at hooking. 
  4. Join the fair Subcommittee-help create the Tin Pedlar exhibit and collaborative art exhibit of bees.  Members of the subcommittee also help recruit demonstrators. Contact Emily if you are interested.

This year’s Cumberland Fair exhibit hall theme is Be the Farmer, we are participating in that aspect in two ways:

1) “Bee” Display – As we have done with the birds and leaves in prior years, we are creating a collaborative art display of bees. You are welcome to create your own bee to be a part of the display. You can draw your own or utilize the bee template shared at the March Meeting. Bees will be collected along with other rugs at the September meeting. 

2) Annual Tin Pedlar Challenge Be the Farmer:  The special Tin Pedlar Challenge (winner gets a $50 prize) is any rug that fits into the “Be the Farmer” exhibit hall theme.

Tin Pedlar Of Maine Rug Exhibit Categories for Judging* 

ORIGINAL PATTERNS 

9.801 Tin Pedlar  Rug Hooking original pattern: animals 

9.802 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking original pattern: contemporary 

9.803 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking original pattern: floral or fruit 

9.804 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking original pattern: geometric 

9.805 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking original pattern: pictorial 

9.806 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking original pattern: pillow 

9.807 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking original pattern: seasonal

9.812 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking original pattern: other: 3-dimensional item, stool cover, bag, soft sculpture, coasters, pins, chair pad, mixed media, etc. 

ANNUAL GUILD CHALLENGE: Be the Farmer (different each year)

9.813 Tin Pedlar Annual Guild Challenge (original pattern or commercial pattern)

COMMERCIAL PATTERNS (Including adaptations) 

9.814 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: animals 

9.815 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: contemporary 

9.816 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: floral or fruit 

9.817 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: geometric 

9.818 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: pictorial 

9.819 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: pillow 

9.820 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: seasonal 

9.821 Tin Pedlar Rug Hooking commercial pattern: 3 -dimension item, stool cover, bag, soft sculpture, coasters, pins, chair pad, mixed media, etc.

*Please note you may enter a rug for the exhibit and not have it included in judging. If you don’t want your rug judged, let Emily know, and your rug will be excluded from judging. 

Award Prizes:  1st $10, 2nd $9, and 3rd $8, Annual Challenge $50 (only first place)

How to Register a Rug for the Tin Pedlar of Maine Rug Hooking Exhibit

  1. Online: Through this link (reference categories above).  Online entries are due by August 21, 2025! 
  2. Mail: You can mail in a paper entry form to Carolyn Small 273 Tuttle Road, Cumberland, ME 04021 (must be received by August 28, 2025).  Paper entry forms are available in the back of the Cumberland Fair Book or Mailer (will be released in late Spring 2025). 

Collection & Returning of Rugs & Bees for Exhibit:

Rugs and bees will be collected at the Tin Pedlar of Maine September meeting and returned to their owners/creators at the October meeting.  If you are not able to make the September or October meetings, please reach out to Emily to make alternative arrangements. 

If you have questions or need assistance, reach out to Emily Williams.  (207) 807-1850 or EmilyLuellaWilliams@gmail.com