From pie eating contests to pig races, county fairs are known for competition. But one contest that's had a surge in popularity in recent years is one you might not expect: competitive table setting.

These inventive, meticulous competitors can teach us something about setting the “perfect” table. By Tejal Rao Tejal Rao is a critic at large for the Food desk at The New York Times. If you look to ...

Emma Anunson, 12, won first place in the formal intermediate division of the table setting competition at the Harrison County Fair. A member of the Kenya Safari Acrobats gets low to limbo under a ...