We know many of you are spending more time at home than normal, so to help pass the time, Big Tex is here to save the day! We’re releasing 2020 Arts & Crafts information earlier than usual so your kiddos have some fun and crafty ideas to spark their creativity and get involved in this year’s Fair!
Three Reasons for Getting Crafty
1.Family-fun time. Spend quality time with your family while each member has a craft to keep them entertained for hours.
2.RIBBONS! Your entire family could be ribbon–winners at the 2020 State Fair of Texas!
3.Education. Keep those tiny Texan’s creative brains spinning – each of the ideas below will help your kiddos continue to learn.
Every year, prior to the State Fair of Texas, our Creative Arts department hosts pre-Fair Arts & Crafts contests. From fine art to needlepoint and photography to hobby collections, there’s something for everyone to compete in. How can you get involved? It’s simple, really! First, get crafty. Next, register online – online registration will open in the next couple of months. Then, bring your item in for judging on August 7, 8, or 9, or mail it in. Then, just sit back and wait for the results! Winning items will remain on display throughout the 24-day run of the Fair.
The Perfect Contests Fit for Your Fam!
Thinking through some of the contests that require minimal supplies, we’ve come up with a handful of contests the whole family can participate in. Departments are broken down into the following age groups: Adults 18+, Juniors 13-17, Kids 12 and younger.
Department A – Fine Art.
Ink, watercolor, pencil, and more – the Fine Art department welcomes several art techniques for drawings and paintings. With divisions for folks of all ages, there are several categories ranging from landscape and portraits to still life and even State Fair-themed. Clear the kitchen table, it’s time to draw!
Department C- Designer Craftsman.
As one of the biggest departments in the Arts & Crafts competitions, Designer Craftsman has an exciting mix of contests for both adults, juniors, and kids. Whether its string art and painted rocks or recycled items and papercrafts – this department definitely has accessible options for kiddos to create at home. Meanwhile, the adult class has an even wider range of contests such as greeting cards, wall-hanging mosaic tile, birdhouses, and so much more!
Department D – Dolls.
Antique, handcrafted, or themed – we’ve got it all! Unfortunately, these dolls can’t stand as tall as Big Tex, but don’t let the maximum height of 24” limit your creativity! The Dolls Department has several categories covering various eras, celebrities, and much more. Be sure to provide a proper display stand so that your ribbon-winning doll is ready to shine for all 24-days of the Fair.
*Moms – What a great time to have your kiddos clean out that toy chest and decide which dolls are their favorite, so they can enter them in this contest!
Department F – Hobby Collections.
We know with all this extra time a lot of cleaning and organizing is going on. Did you know you could win a State Fair blue ribbon just by sharing your prized collection or antiques? That’s right, Creative Arts has a Hobby Collections department, which includes collections of all sorts – everything from buttons and candy dishes to cookie jars and military items. An entry, consisting of two items from your collection, must be 30 years or older. In addition, you can enter a single antique item that is 100 years or older! Check out the list of classes and categories, and you can win a ribbon for sharing your most prized possessions.
Department K – Photography.
Need a little fresh air? Grab the camera, head outside, and snap some photos! Let your kiddo join in the fun and use your phone camera (with supervision, of course!) From amateurs to professionals, black and white to color, there are classes and categories for everyone with an artistic eye. It’s easy to enter and open to all, so go out and capture that Creative Arts ribbon-winning shot!
Department L – Scale Models.
Attention parents! Did you know we have a Legos building contest? Representations of an object, scale model entries can be built from a kit, scratch–built, diorama, or Legos. Though these models might be smaller in size, the detail and design are larger than life. Including aircrafts, shoebox floats, and dioramas, this department has several categories for adults, juniors, and children.
Spend your free time getting the family together for some arts and crafts that can be entered in our pre-Fair contests. Let’s make 2020 the year your entire family wins a ribbon from the State Fair of Texas! Be sure to share your progress by tagging us on social media @StateFairofTX and happy crafting!
This blog was featured in our March 2020 Big Tex Insider and Creative Arts newsletters. For more information on Creative Arts Contests or blogs on how to enter, visit our Creative Arts 101 page or sign-up for our Creative Texans Newsletter.
Join Newsletter