Don't Blink Or You'll Miss State Fair Floral Contest Winners

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The State Fair floral arrangement competition wrapped up inside the Agriculture-Horticulture Building.

The flowers are set up on a Monday, then judging happens and the flowers are gone by Tuesday. But what goes into these arrangements often takes far longer than 24 hours.

Perfection isn't something that can be rushed. Barb Eytinge will spend hours creating her ever evolving floral arrangements with the hope of repeating a win at the Minnesota State Fair.

Last year, she took three ribbons -- not bad for a first-year floral competitor.

"I was very surprised. Very surprised and very happy," she said.

Her initial decision to compete wasn't just the love of flowers, but rather the reward that goes with it.

Years before, Barb got the first taste of victory showing her horse in the Coliseum.

This year, she could add six new ribbons to that collection. And while she builds her design in the moment, the outline begins well in advance.

"During the year I'm thinking about different arrangements I can make and try to pick a few things out," she said.

Simple sketches help keep her on point, ultimately leading to a masterpiece of floral design to be judged against the best in the state.

You can only see the flower displays for a limited time. If you want to check out the displays, head over to the Agriculture-Horticulture Building.