New SWVA option to submit crafts to State Fair of Virginia (copy)
Caroline County Public Schools art teacher Katie Boltz has been encouraging her high school students to enter State Fair of Virginia contests for over 16 years.
Her students’ creations often take center stage during the school’s annual field trip to the fair, and they span “just about any media”—from papier-mâché, ceramics and fine arts categories to bookmaking, stained glass and embroidery.
“I love the opportunity to get my students’ artwork out in the public,” Boltz said. “It helps them build all kinds of confidence in their abilities, and it sparks them to work a little bit harder and make it to the next level.”
She’s proudly watched her students claim countless blue ribbons, pursue careers in the arts, and put awarded scholarship money toward college degrees.
And it’s not just high school students who can get involved in the state fair competitions. Any Virginian with a special skill or hobby can enter to earn a coveted blue ribbon. Each year, hundreds of bakers, gardeners, cooks and crafters from across the commonwealth enter the arts, horticulture and culinary competitions at the State Fair of Virginia.
The State Fair of Virginia will be held Sept. 25 through Oct. 4. Competition guides, deadlines and category descriptions are available at StateFairVa.org.
“You don’t have to be an experienced hobbyist to be extraordinary,” said Sarah Jane Thomsen, the fair’s manager of agriculture education and strategic programming partnerships. “We all have something to show off and be proud of, and the fair is the perfect opportunity to do that—whether it’s baked goods, preserved foods, homegrown produce or creative arts.”
The contests are open to youth and adults of all skill levels, and winning at a county fair isn’t a prerequisite for entering.
While some categories award small cash prizes and scholarships, the real rewards are bragging rights, seeing your work celebrated, and appreciating “the simple things that bring us joy,” Thomsen added.
State Fair Express
New this year is State Fair Express—a one-day pickup option for limited creative arts items in Rockingham and Washington counties. Competitors will have the opportunity to drop off up to three items in the categories of preserved foods, fiber arts, needle arts, crafts, art and photography.
This area’s pickup date and place is the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center and Marketplace, One Heartwood Circle, Abingdon, on Aug. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more details, visit statefairva.org/p/competitions/arts-and-crafts-competitions.
Flourishing opportunities
Gardeners and growers of all ages can vie for top honors in horticulture and field crops competitions spanning fruits, vegetables, row crops, flowers and succulents. There are even categories for fairy gardens, hanging baskets and terrariums. Floral enthusiasts can check out the 2026 Floral Design and Cut Flower Show at the fair beginning Sept. 30.
The fair’s annual Giant Veggie Weigh-Off hosts growers pursuing world-record titles for the heftiest homegrown melons, pumpkins and squashes. The showdown begins at noon on Sept. 26.
Horticulture competitions include honeys, hives or combs, plus a preserved foods category showcasing pantry provisions from pickles to peach butter.
An enriching experience
Boltz, while demonstrating wheel throwing at the fair every year, is often surrounded by heartwarming sights of fair contestants showing off their exhibited creations to friends and family.
“Art is not meant to be made and then put in a drawer somewhere. It’s meant to be shared,” Boltz remarked. “You don’t have to be the best artist to participate in the fair. If you want to be in it, put your work out there—everybody’s a winner that way.”
Whether a painted piece or a pottery wheel creation, there are endless opportunities for showcasing artwork in the fair’s creative arts competitions for youth and adults.
Have a Virginia Farm Bureau antique or interesting object? You can display that in celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary this year. And in commemoration of the nation’s 250th birthday, an arts category called America 250 can include designs that exemplify U.S. tradition, colors and history.
Competition organizers also are calling all crocheters, quilters and weavers to submit their finest work, alongside Virginia’s jewelry makers, photographers and woodworkers.
To your heart’s content
Home cooks and culinary creatives can show off their breads, cookies, jams, sauces, syrups, pies and more in the culinary arts competitions, on display throughout the fair.
A new contest for breakfast sweet treats and pastries made with King Arthur Baking Co.’s flour will roll out this year. Baked items submitted by adults and youth will be judged on flavor, appearance, creativity and texture.
Southland Dairy Farmers will host two competitions this season for Dairy Days. Charcuterie boards will be judged at 6 p.m. on Sept. 30. Entries must include at least five dairy products and four items processed or grown in Virginia. Milkshakes of Champions will feature competitors blending Virginia-sourced ice cream and milk on site at 4 p.m. on Sept. 27.
This year marks the first-ever virtual Youth Culinary Scholarship Competition. The Virginia Egg Council is inviting Virginia teens to demonstrate egg-forward cooking, where contestants will showcase their skills through social style video storytelling, food photography and recipe development. Youth also can earn college cash for their internationally inspired baked goods, using a recipe from another country.
Last year’s fair saw nearly 10,000 entries and over 4,500 exhibitors. Since 2013, the State Fair of Virginia Scholarship Program has awarded over $1.1 million through 2,903 individual scholarships won in fair competitions and opportunities to support youth education.
The State Fair is held each fall at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County and attracts over 200,000 fairgoers. The event celebrates the best of Virginia’s past, present and future through scholarship initiatives, creative programming and a focus on the commonwealth’s agriculture and natural resources industries.
Information is available at StateFairVa.org.
