Show off your hobbies, skills at the State Fair of Virginia
DOSWELL (July 15, 2025)—Earning a ribbon at the State Fair of Virginia is about more than just winning. It’s a celebration of skill, creativity and lasting connections formed through friendly competition.
Longtime knitter and quilter Mary Kay Beasley has been entering fair competitions for over 25 years, and has over 20 ribbons to prove it.
“I try to enter at least four or five items every year,” Beasley said. “My whole reason for doing it is to show that knitting and quilting can still be interesting and cool. It’s allowed me to keep the crafts in front of people’s eyes.”
It’s also an opportunity to connect with old friends and fellow fiber enthusiasts.
“We’re all like, ‘What do you have in the fair?’ And we’ll walk around to see what items we’ve entered. It’s a really nice thing.”
Last year Beasley entered a Wizard of Oz-themed quilt made for a neighbor expecting her first baby—whose nursery was inspired by the film. After winning a ribbon, she gifted the quilt to the new mom.
“It’s one of my very best memories,” she shared.
Like Beasley, thousands of bakers, gardeners, cooks, crafters and competitors from across the commonwealth enter the arts, culinary, horticulture, 4-H, FFA and livestock competitions at the State Fair. In fact, last year’s fair saw nearly 10,000 entries and over 4,500 exhibitors!
The State Fair of Virginia will be held Sept. 26 through Oct. 5, and competition guides, deadlines and category descriptions for both youth and adult contests are available at StateFairVa.org.
Most entries are due in early September, making now the ideal time to plan and practice.
“The State Fair of Virginia has a competition for everyone,” said Sarah Jane Thomsen, the fair’s manager of agriculture education and strategic programming partnerships. “From livestock competitions and various artistic expressions to preserved foods, culinary favorites and homegrown produce—get involved, and try your hand at winning your own blue ribbon!”
Winning at a county fair isn’t a prerequisite. Open to both adults and youth, state fair contests welcome beginners as well as seasoned pros. While some categories award small cash prizes, the real rewards are bragging rights and seeing your work celebrated and viewed by thousands of fairgoers.
Endless opportunities
Have a green thumb? Gardeners and growers can vie for top prizes 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. A cut flower show will take place Oct. 1 through Oct. 5, with entries judged on Oct. 1.
Culinary creatives can showcase their breads, cakes, cookies, jams, sauces, syrups, pies and more. New this year are fun twists like protein balls or bites, a picnic potluck recipe contest and a salsa challenge featuring categories for mild, fruit and hot varieties.
This year also offers several special food competitions including the Virginia Potatoes Recipe Contest sponsored by Dublin Farms’ Virginia’s Finest Potatoes, and the Harvest Pie Contest sponsored by King Arthur Baking Co.
Dairy Days at the fair will host three competitions this year. One is a Grilled Cheese Your Way! contest sponsored by the Virginia State Dairymen’s Association, held live on Sept. 28. Another Dairy Days event is the Charcuterie Board Competition, presented by Southland Dairy Farmers. Entrants will present their charcuterie boards on Oct. 1 using at least five dairy products and four items grown or processed in Virginia. Lastly, the Milkshakes of Champions competition presented by Southland Dairy Farmers invites competitors to mix their best milkshake live on Sept. 28.
Also new this year is the Virginia is for Beef Lovers: Commonwealth Burger Battle. Sponsored by the Virginia Beef Council, grillmasters will use Virginia Verified Beef to impress judges with their best burgers live at the fair on Oct. 5.
And just as creativity is limitless, so are the categories for the state fair arts competitions. Artisans can show off their skills in countless media, with new categories like amigurumi crochet, slow-stitch quilting, blown glass, punch needle, hat burning and more.
Have a Virginia Farm Bureau antique or interesting object? You can display that too.
This year’s fair also introduces fresh youth categories. Young artists can create masterpieces with their pets, while budding chefs can whip up chocolate or crockpot candy, gluten-free snacks or after-school treats.
Special youth culinary contests include a pastries competition sponsored by King Arthur Baking Co.; an International Favorites scholarship opportunity; and a Meant to be Broken teen egg recipe contest and scholarship opportunity sponsored by the Virginia Egg Council.
Finally, no fair would be complete without youth livestock competitions and shows. Young participants can demonstrate the hard work, responsibility and knowledge they’ve gained through raising their cattle, goats, pigeons, poultry, sheep, swine and more.
The 2025 State Fair of Virginia will run from Sept. 26 through Oct. 5 at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County. Since 2013, the State Fair has awarded over $1 million in scholarships to support youth education.
In 2024, the fair was among 150 diverse events that drew more than 545,235 visitors to The Meadow. The venue had an overall regional economic impact of $41.5 million.
Information is available at StateFairVa.org.
Contact Thomsen at 804-994-2743.