OK I will be the dissenting voice. First off I have not entered anything in a fair since I was about 10.
At my local Fair, I have no idea who does the judging of the quilts. A first prize is given in every category, so if you are the only entry you win. That is okay by me, because the quilts are being judged against the other quilts, not a 'standard'. If there are more than three entries in a category then a first, second, third ribbon is given. There are far more quilts than ribbons.
My local fair is geared to celebrate home arts, photography, art, animal husbandry, riding skills, and logger sports. Whether judging a cake or a quilt, it is being judged against the other entries.
Now if I were to enter a quilt in a juried show, I would expect to be held to a higher standard. I would also expect there to be more competition. But you know, I love seeing 'beginner' quilts as well as the incredible works of art. For me that makes quilting and displaying in a quilt show more approachable. The local fairs are very approachable and are often an entry point to people to gain confidence to display in a big show.