The State Fair of Texas is excited to announce the 2021 Virtual Creative Arts Contests, kicking off with Texas Theme Cookie Decorating. In addition, the 2021 Virtual Creative Arts Contest Handbook is now available online. With four brand-new virtual contests, Texans can celebrate their creativity year-round. Whether participants are showing off their patriotic-themed decorated mantel, shelf, or tablescape, or cooking up some fun Texas-themed, decorated cookies, Big Tex cannot wait to see how Fair fans celebrate everything from their favorite holiday to Big Tex himself, through their creativity. Introduced in 2020 as a way for Fair fans to continue creative celebrations from the comfort of their own home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the contests were so popular, the new virtual contest tradition will continue in 2021.
The four contests in 2021 include:
- Texas Theme Cookie Decorating – Stir up some Lone Star spirit by decorating Texas-themed cookies. Texas is filled with tons of symbols – bluebonnets, Dr Pepper®, armadillos, yellow roses – so you’ll have more than enough inspiration to choose from to decorate your six cookies.
- Patriotic Celebration – Bring the celebration of America to your indoor décor! To celebrate the Fourth of July, commemorating the birth of American independence, decorate a mantel, shelf, or tablescape with your best stars and stripes.
- Big Tex Cake Decorating – Say “Howdy, Folks!” using your sugar art skills. Design, embellish, or decorate any cake or cupcake of your choosing – the only requirement is that your dessert features the spirit of everybody’s favorite 55-foot-tall talking cowboy, Big Tex.
- Holiday! – Have a favorite holiday? Take your pick of any celebrated holiday and decorate a food item or décor piece (mantel, shelf, or tablescape) to celebrate. Who says you can’t decorate for Valentine’s Day in December?
To enter, just submit a photo of your masterpiece through the Fair’s online registration portal, available at Creative.BigTex.com. With different age divisions for each contest, participants of any age are welcome. The entries must be the work of the contestant, and contestants may only have one entry per specified contest category.
Registration for the Virtual Creative Arts Contests is now open. To view the 2021 Virtual Creative Arts Contests handbook, please visit BigTex.com/VirtualContests. Below is a table to summarize the important dates for the 2021 virtual creative arts contests.
Contest Registration Deadline Winners Announced Texas ThemeCookie Decorating February 24, 2021 March 2, 2021 Patriotic Celebration June 23, 2021 June 28, 2021 Big Tex Cake Decorating September 1, 2021 September 9, 2021 Holiday! December 5, 2021 December 14, 2021
The virtual contests are just one of the many ways Fair fans can showcase their creativity this year! Information about the 2021 Arts & Crafts contests, as well as Cooking contests, which are typically held leading up to the State Fair of Texas, will be released later in the year. To be the first to receive updates from the Fair’s Creative Arts department, sign up for the Creative Arts Newsletter, available at BigTex.com/CreativeTexans.
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About the State Fair of Texas
Since its inception in 1886, the State Fair of Texas has celebrated all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment. The State Fair of Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with proceeds helping to preserve and improve our home, Fair Park; underwrite museums, community initiatives, and scholarship programs to support students throughout the Lone Star State pursuing higher education; and help improve State Fair operations. The 2021 exposition runs September 24 through October 17 in Fair Park. Visit BigTex.com
