I'm sorry to admit, but my Sims have been to three festivals without any outcome. No winner. Not one, let alone as the OP said, having a third place when only two things were submitted. I wouldn't mind random outcomes, but to have absolutely NO OUTCOME is unacceptable. I'm currently planning on restarting this game save due to this problem. Yes, I have done a Repair game. Still no outcome. The festival just slowly fades into oblivion, one stall at a time. :open_mouth:
Yesterday, I even did a Refresh game folder just to see if somehow that was a problem. Bad news no outcome to the festival. I decided enough was enough. I would throw out that game save, (after making certain to upload each family and their lot) so that I can start a brand new game save in the brand new game folder. Why haven't I started yet? Good question.
As for the other points the OP made, I have been to County Fairs in the past. There's plenty of eating and things to see, such as farm animals that are being judged. Can't describe how in awe I was at seeing a Bull for the first time in my life, in person, so to speak. He was HUGE, all slumped into the corner of his pen as he was. Just huge. I've seen elephants, too at the zoo, but the size of this Bull took me by surprise. Eating contests and other fair-type games should be going on so that the kiddies have something to do. There is no reason at all as to why this fair isn't very entertaining. It's a misfire, in my estimation. I guess I'm guilty of getting far too excited about this EP.
To the point where I'm now considering going back to my Main Save with my Celebrity Sim.