The Warren County chapter of the Mississippi Homemaker Volunteers will kick off its annual Cultural Arts Exhibit Day on Thursday.

If you go

The Warren County Homemaker Volunteers’ Cultural Arts Exhibit Day will kick off with registration from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Warren County Extension Office, 1100-C Grove St. Exhibits will be on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday. To enter or for more information, call the Extension office at 601-636-5442.

The general public and Homemaker Volunteers may submit entries in three categories — cultural arts, meaning handmade items in quilting, crocheting, needlework, knitting, woodwork and painting; preserved foods; and fresh produce. Registration is at 8 a.m. Thursday.

“You can expect to see how talented and proficient some people are — especially in clothing construction,” said John Coccaro, director of the Warren County Extension Service.

A winner from each category will be selected, and blue ribbons will be given. The judge will be Hinds County Extension Service Agent Lurlinda Soignier.

“These people have put a lot of time into articles,” she said. “For each one, there’s something specific I’m looking for.”

Blue-ribbon winners will advance to the state contest, set for October at the Mississippi State Fair. All exhibits will be on display at the Extension office, 1100-C Grove St., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

Coccaro said he has seen an increase in the number of young people entering the contest. “It’s refreshing,” he said.

The Mississippi Homemaker Volunteers was incorporated in 1918 and has 2,100 members.

The Warren County chapter has 10. In addition to the Cultural Arts Exhibit Day, the group hosts a yearly flower show.

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Contact Manivanh Chanprasith at mchan@vicksburgpost.com