Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals

Essay Writing Contest

2025 THEME: If you could create your own holiday, what would it be? Tell us the name of the holiday you would celebrate. Why would you celebrate it? Tell us about any traditions you would create around your holiday! What time of the year would it be? Give us as many details as possible!

Rules and Regulations:

  1. Essay must contain between 500 and 800 words.

  2. Name of the contestant MUST NOT be written on the essay but must be written on a separate sheet and clipped, not stapled, to the essay.

  3. On a separate sheet, contestants should follow this format:

    Name, Address, Grade, Phone#,

    Parent’s Name, School Name

    Fair/Festival Represented

  4. Essay may be handwritten or typed.

  5. Spelling, grammar, phraseology, general interest, continuity, and adherence to the theme will be determining factors for selecting the winner.

  6. Categories are: (A) Grades 6-8, (B) Grades 9-12

  7. Information used from sources should be acknowledged in a bibliography.

  8. Pictures or diagrams can be included within the context of the essay or in an appropriate appendix.

  9. Essays must be turned into the Education Building on Wednesday 1 week prior to the fair between 8 and 9 am.

  10. Criteria for judging are as follows:

    • Content (adherence to the theme) 40%

    • Grammar (punctuation, capitalization) 25%

    • Continuity (introduction, body, conclusion) 20%

    • Spelling 15%

  11. Essay prizes (State Level)
    1st = $150, 2nd = $100, 3rd = $50