Announcing the 2026 Kansas State Fair T-Shirt Contest!

You may remember it from last year, it’s quickly becoming one of the most anticipated competitions of the year: The Kansas State Fair T-Shirt Contest!

If you have a little bit of creative spark, love the Kansas State Fair, and like winning prizes — this contest is for you!

It has been so fun to see the creativity and love for the Fair in the previous years’ designs. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for this year!

Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation is excited to sponsor our third annual T-shirt contest for 2026. One lucky winner will be able to showcase their t-shirt design in the Official Kansas State Fair Merchandise Booth in 2026. The contest winning design is always a big hit with fairgoers! Check out last year’s winner below!

Anyone and everyone is welcome to enter an original design that shows the artist’s creative skills and captures the spirit of the Fair. Money raised from t-shirt sales goes back into the Fairgrounds per the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation’s mission of Renovation, Construction, Preservation & Beautification of the Kansas State Fairgrounds.

Youth Division

We are continuing the tradition of last year with the Youth Division! School-aged entrants will be judged separately and are eligible to win one of the special youth division prizes! See below for details.

Important Details

The deadline for the contest is March 31, 2025. Once all designs have been received, each will be sent to a selection committee that will choose the top 5 designs in each division. The 10 total designs will be made available on the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation’s Facebook page for the public to vote on and the designs that receive the most votes win! The winners will be announced in the May First Friday E-Update on May 1, 2025.

First Friday E-Updates are going to be THE place to stay up to date on all contest details. Sign up for our email list here!

Sign up for E-Updates!

Prizes

Adult Division

Not only will the 1st Place winner get their design sold at the Official Kansas State Fair Merchandise Booth, but the top 3 winners will receive a special Kansas State Fair prize!

Adult 1st Place Winner Receives

  • Your winning design is produced as a t-shirt to sell at the 2026 Kansas State Fair 
  • 4 T-shirts with the winning design
  • 1 Kansas State Fair Family Package
    • Includes: 4 gate passes, 2 punch cards (good for the Train, Big Slide, Sky Ride, or Old Mill), 1 ride sheet, and $20 in food coupons
  • 4 tickets to the Grandstand concert of your choice (unless the preferred concert is sold out at the time the winner is announced)
  • $50 food gift certificate for the Foundation’s 1861 Club on the Fairgrounds (good during 2026 Kansas State Fair only)
  • Certificate of Award

Adult 2nd Place Receives

  • 1 Kansas State Fair Family Package
    • Includes: 4 gate passes, 2 punch cards (good for the Train, Big Slide, Sky Ride, or Old Mill), 1 ride sheet, and $20 in food coupons
  • 2 tickets to the Grandstand concert of your choice (unless the preferred concert is sold out at the time the winner is announced)
  • $40 food gift certificate for the Foundation’s 1861 Club on the Fairgrounds (good during 2026 Kansas State Fair only)
  • Certificate of Award

Adult 3rd Place Receives

  • 4 gate admission passes
  • $30 food gift certificate for the Foundation’s 1861 Club on the Fairgrounds (good during 2026 Kansas State Fair only)
  • Certificate of Award

Youth Division

Youth 1st Place Winner Receives

  • Design printed on Foundation’s choice of merchandise to sell at the Kansas State Fair 2026.
  • Kansas State Fair Merchandise Package – $50 Value
  • 1 Kansas State Fair Family Package
    • Includes: 4 gate passes, 2 punch cards (good for the Train, Big Slide, Sky Ride, or Old Mill), 1 ride sheet, and $20 in food coupons
  • $50 food gift certificate for the Foundation’s 1861 Club on the Fairgrounds (good during 2025 Kansas State Fair only)
  • Certificate of Award

Youth 2nd Place Receives

  • 1 Kansas State Fair Family Package
    • Includes: 4 gate passes, 2 punch cards (good for the Train, Big Slide, Sky Ride, or Old Mill), 1 ride sheet, and $20 in food coupons
  • $40 food gift certificate for the Foundation’s 1861 Club on the Fairgrounds (good during 2025 Kansas State Fair only)
  • Certificate of Award

Youth 3rd Place Receives

  • 4 gate admission passes
  • $30 food gift certificate for the Foundation’s 1861 Club on the Fairgrounds (good during 2025 Kansas State Fair only)
  • Certificate of Award

This contest is an excellent opportunity to get your creativity on display for all Fairgoers to see and support the Kansas State Fair, as all of the funds from each t-shirt sale will go towards renovation projects to improve our historic Kansas State Fairgrounds.

If you want to enter a design, read more about the guidelines and rules below to ensure your design will be eligible. Make sure to submit your design by MARCH 31! 

Entry Deadline is March 31, 2025!

Be sure to read rules and guidelines

How to Submit

Email your design to info@ksfgf.org with the following information:

  • Full Name
  • Mailing address
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Youth or Adult Division
    • If Youth Division please include applicable supervising adult contact information as well (such as parent or teacher)
  • Any important comments on your design, including disclosure of specific use of generative A.I.

If you have any questions, email info@ksfgf.org or call 620-615-7388.

Timeline

Mar 6, 2026 – Contest announcement in March First Friday E-Update

Mar 31, 2026 – Design Submission Deadline

Apr 3, 2026 – Facebook voting on the top 10 designs (5 adult division and 5 youth division) opens in the April First Friday E-Update

Apr 29, 2026 – Voting closes

May 1, 2026 – Winners announced in the May First Friday E-Update

Guidelines

Submission Details

  • Entries should be submitted via email to the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation at info@ksfgf.org
  • The entry deadline is MARCH 31, 2026.
  • The entry should be accompanied by your name and contact information including mailing address, phone number and email (including supervising adults’ contact information for youth division entries).

Design Details

  • The design must contain the year “2026” and the words “Kansas State Fair” and represent an aspect of the Kansas State Fair, its facilities or traditions.
    • This year is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America and the 35th anniversary of the Little Red Schoolhouse on the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Designs are not required to relate to these topics.
  • The design may be drawn, printed or digital. Electronic submissions and vector artwork (.AI, .PDF, or .EPS files) are preferred. Image files must be saved to 300 dpi and be high resolution in .JPG, .PNG or .PSD format. Please convert all text to outline. If your design is selected, you will be required to provide the original design in a high-resolution format that is compatible with Photoshop, Illustrator or other professional design program or agree to have your design recreated in a usable format. If photographing a drawing please be sure to take the photo straight on with good lighting (no shadows over artwork) and no to minimal background.
  • Final design dimensions should not exceed 12” x 12”.
  • The color of the final shirt will be determined by the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation.

Judging Details

  • Designs will be judged on the following:
    • Concept/originality
    • Striking and memorable
    • Visibility – eye-catching and visible from a reasonable distance
    • Complete – must be ready for print
    • Feasibility – must be easy to reproduce on a t-shirt
  • Please note that the Foundation reserves the right to adjust the winning design.

Rules

  • All entries must be original creations that have never been published and do not contain any profanity, trademarks, logos, restricted or copyrighted works of any other person or business.
    • AI rules: AI may be used to supplement a design, however, designs must be primarily created by humans. No more than approximately 10% of the design may be AI generated. Entrants must disclose the use of AI in their design process, detailing in what capacity and which areas of the design it was used. The judging criteria will consider originality, artistic expression, and adherence to the contest theme. Failure to adhere to this rule may lead to disqualification at the discretion of the judges.
  • The winning design will remain the property of the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation and will not be returned to you nor will you receive any compensation for said design other than the aforementioned prize package. The Foundation may use the winning design at any time after the contest. The winning contestant may display their design in a portfolio or personal collection, but may not sell or reproduce the design for any other purpose once submitted to the contest.
  • By submitting an entry and including your name, address and contact information, you are acknowledging your acceptance and understanding of the complete contest rules including that the winning design is the property of the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation.
  • More than one entry can be submitted by an individual but they must be submitted as separate entries.
  • A panel of judges selected by the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation will choose the top 5 design submissions which will then be put to a public vote.
  • The Foundation reserves the right to end this contest at any time, effective on the date of the termination notice and is under no obligation to give advance notice of the termination.
  • This contest is subject to all federal, state and local laws.
  • Current Kansas State Fair or Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation full-time staff, board members or their spouses are not allowed to participate.
  • At the sole discretion of the Foundation, disqualification, forfeiture and the selection of an alternate winner may result from any of the following:
    • Winner’s failure to respond to notification within seven (7) business days after its transmission;
    • The return of an email notification as undeliverable after three (3) attempts;
    • Winner’s failure to provide original design files; failure to submit a completely original design; failure to adhere to the full rules; or failure to execute and return a release form.
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