2026 San Diego County Fair: Design in Wood exhibit

San Diego County Fair, Design in Wood exhibit, is a yearly display of the art of woodworking. Organized and put together by the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association, June 10th – July 5th, in Del Mar, California. All types of wood creations are on display: custom furniture, musical instruments, intarsia, marquetry, model building, wood carving, etc. The California Carvers Guild has had a booth here every year and has used CCG judging for carvings for many years. This is a gallery of just the carvings and CCG members involved.

Animal category

1st Place Animal category

by Mike Yokotake.

Titled ” Kids, Whaddaya Gonna do ?”

Made of Padauke, Koa, African Rosewood & Lignum Vitae

2nd Place, Animal category

by John Elsebusch

African Lion head

Made from Torrey Pine

3rd Place Animal Category

By John Elsebusch

Title; Forest Bobcat in woods

Made from cedar

4th place animal category

by Bernie Burke

Buffalo

made of Basswood

the last of the southern Judges;( left to right) Ray Caloway, Mick Yarbrough, Anita Ansbury. [Pictured from 2025 Ramona country carvers show]. Have been Judging the San Diego county fair for a number of years. This year, 2026, the fair authority allowed only 2 judges. dissolving the CCG Jury system(we’re still working to get the jury back) but did not change the scoring criteria. Same CCG scoring criteria. Ray Judged the Animal and Bird categories and Mick judged the Open, Human form and Marine life categories. Anita should be back, in the future. Ray retired from Judging after the 2026 San Diego County fair.

Bird Category

1st place, Bird Category

by Sa Nguansak

title; Patriotic watcher

made from Basswood

2nd place, bird category
by Tom Bobczynski
title; Don’t forget to look up
made from Birch

3rd place , bird category (angle 1)

by Dave Decoteau

title; boy catching bluejay

made from Basswood (Bird, box and peanuts)

3rd place , bird category (angle 2)

4th place, bird category
by Tom Bobczynski
Title; interlocking hearts
made from Mahogany

San Diego County fair CCG booth crew

6-26-2026

(left to right) Mick Yarbrough, Richard Henry, Dave Decoteau

Marine category

1st place, Marine category

By Mike Yokotate

Title; Humpback Breach

made from Cocobolo and teak

2nd place; Marine category

by Richard Howell

title; Hawaiian legend of Kahuoi

made from Monkey Pod/raintree

(There was difficulty categorizing this piece. it could have gone marine life, human form or open. Richard entered it into Marine life, where it stayed)