DALLAS, TEXAS – May 22, 2017 – Now available online with all the details on the latest and greatest competitions, the 2017 Creative Arts Handbook is your guide to all things crafty. Whether you’re new to the crafting world or you consider yourself a Creative Arts veteran, the State Fair offers a wide variety of contests for participants on both ends of the spectrum. From jewelry making to jelly canning, pie baking to holiday decorating, and glass blowing to metal sculpting, the Creative Arts Department has something to excite the inner artist in you.
With more than 1,100 categories in 12 different departments of pre-Fair contests, as well as daily competitions taking place during the Fair, amateurs and professionals of all ages have endless opportunities to showcase their creative talents. Contest departments include: Art; Ceramics; Designer-Craftsman; Dolls; Foods (Canning); Hobby Collections; Holiday Corner; Needlepoint and Cross Stitch; Needlework and Sewing; Afghans, Rugs, Quilts and Bedspreads; Photography; and Scale Models. Registration for the 2017 pre-Fair contests has officially begun, with a deadline of Friday, July 21 to submit entry forms and fees. Contestants can submit their entries via mail by July 21, or hand deliver items to the Creative Arts Building on August 11, 12, or 13 from 9 am to 5 pm. Only one entry per person may be submitted within each category. In the following weeks, entries will be judged and contestants will receive notification once the results are finalized. Entries that are awarded a ribbon will be on display during the 2017 State Fair of Texas, themed “Celebrating Texans.”
A quintessential element of the State Fair of Texas, the Creative Arts Building serves as an open house for all of the winning entries in each of the various competitions, as well as the location for daily contests throughout the Fair’s 24-day run. Offering additional opportunities for participants to flex their creative muscle, new pre-Fair contest categories have been added in the following departments: Art, Designer-Craftsman, Food (Canning), Hobby Collections, Needlework and Sewing, Photography, and Quilts. These new categories range from wood furniture building in the Designer-Craftsman department, to watercolor painting in the Art department. Joining the list of daily cooking competitions this year, the “Ports of Call” contest will be judging contestants on their meal entries influenced by cuisines from around the globe, with categories from China, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain. “Let’s Do Lunch!” brings another new challenge to the Creative Arts table. Competitors must put their own spin on lunchtime classics like salads, quiche, and desserts. Returning to the contest lineup this year, the popular “One Pot Wonders” contest now includes a new Sheet Pan Meal category and will once again serve as the Competition Kitchen’s grand finale on the last day of the Fair.
On Sunday, September 24, the State Fair will hold its annual Chili Cook-Off, BBQ Cook-Off, and Three-Pot Dutch Oven Cook-off. With a new Ribeye Steak category added to the BBQ Cook-off ranks, cooks have another opportunity to showcase their skills on the grill. The Grand Champion winners of each contest will receive a special Big Tex® trophy. Pre-registration for these events is requested, however, entries will be accepted the day of the contests.
Due to popularity and limited space, the Fair will hold a drawing on Friday, June 23 to choose the contestants for six additional on-site cooking contests during the Fair – the Ice Cream Freeze-Off, the Red River Showdown Biscuit Cook-Off, the Pizza Cook-Off, the “Guess What’s Cooking” Contest sponsored by Central Market, Cobbler Cook-Off, and the “Dinner’s on Me” Contest. For a chance to be a contestant, the final date to submit a contest entry form is Monday, June 12.
For all contest details, download the 2017 Creative Arts Handbook at BigTex.com. New contests have been added, some previous ones have been combined or removed, in addition to other updates. The 2017 State Fair of Texas runs September 29 through October 22. Register now to showcase your creative skills!
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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 all proceeds helping to preserve and improve Fair Park, underwrite museum, community and scholarship programs for inner-city youth and students pursuing agricultural careers, and help improve State Fair operations. The 2017 exposition runs September 29 through October 22 in Fair Park. Visit BigTex.com for more information.