ALTAMONT — At the Altamont Fair, in the midst of vendors hawking their wares, screams from fairgoers on thrill rides, and the squawking and mooing of farm animals, there is a place of quiet and respite at the Flower & Fine Arts Building.

The dimmer, cooler inside of the building had fewer visitors on the opening day of the fair than some other exhibits, but the walls were crowded with photography, paintings, and other artwork that had been submitted for judging. Around the room, displays of prize-winning vegetables and flower cuttings were arranged with fairy lights, burlap tablecloths, and tree branches.

Russell Deorazio, a master gardener with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schenectady County, has entered produce ranging from cabbages to cucumbers. Of his 13 entries, 10 won first place, two came in second, and one came in third. He also won three blue ribbons in the flowers category. While he used to be a farmer, Deorazio says he has since cut back to gardening.

Nancy Stahl and Donna Mohr of the Guilderland Garden Club encourage anyone to enter the competition. Mohr has so far won eight first-place prizes; two of her entries came in second and one came in third. She grows her plants in pots at her upstairs apartment in Altamont. For the first time this year, Mohr also entered two photographs.

Alex and Allegra Fasulo recall competing on horseback at the fair while growing up. This year, they decided instead to enter their artwork. Alex entered four photographs that include a closeup of a horse and a desert landscape. Allegra entered two watercolor paintings of fruit. Their mother, Tina, painted jean jackets that were entered in the craft fair this year, said Alex.

While Stahl said the number of entries in the Flower & Fine Arts Building is declining, Mohr notes that there is an incentive that may encourage people to compete: A gate pass is offered for every $10 in costs to enter in a contest. Contest entry fees vary with category; to enter a painting costs $5, while to enter a flower arrangement costs $1, for example.

Some people enter just to show their neighbors their flowers, vegetables, photographs, or paintings, and many fairgoers return each year as if to a gallery. Onlookers are encouraged to vote for their own favorites, depositing paper ballots into a slotted box. The People’s Choice Awards are announced at the end of Fair Week.