State Fair News

State Fair of Texas issues 2025 guide for arts & crafts blue ribbons

State Fair of Texas blue ribbons

SFOT

The time has come for crafty Texans to showcase their creativity: The State Fair of Texas has issued the 2025 version of its Arts & Crafts and Cooking Contest Guides, now available for download at BigTex.com/CreativeArts.

The State Fair’s Creative Arts team holds two kinds of contests: pre-Fair arts and crafts contests like quilting and jam-making; and Fair-time cooking contests, like best bread and best dish with cheese. There are more than 1,100 arts and crafts categories and 26 cooking contests.

Pre-fair contests
The 2025 Arts & Crafts Contests include Fine Art; Ceramics; Designer Craftsman; Dolls; Canning; Hobby Collections; Holiday Corner; Needlepoint, Crewel, and Counted Cross-Stitch; Needlework and Sewing; Afghans, Rugs, Quilts, and Bedspreads; Photography; Scale Models; Glue-a-Shoe; and The Great Pumpkin Challenge.

Actual registration for the 2025 pre-Fair contests will open online on May 7 with a deadline of Monday, July 28, to submit online entry forms and fees.

Contestants can submit their entries via mail by July 28 or hand-deliver items to the Creative Arts building in Fair Park on August 1, 2, and 3 from 9 am-5 pm.

In the weeks following, entries will be judged, and contestants will be notified once the results are finalized. Entries awarded a ribbon will be displayed during the 2025 State Fair of Texas.

Cooking Contests
The 2025 Cooking Contests include Bread; Cooking With Cheese; Honey, the Magic Ingredient; Beekeepers Honey, Farm to Fork; Chocolate; Pizza Cook-Off; Youth Cooking Contest; Best of Show-Down (invitation only); Play with your Food; Dough-Re-Me Pastry; Soup or Salad; Ice Cream Freeze-Off; The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Challenge; Charcuterie Board; Texas Chuck Wagon; International Cuisine; Speedy Dishes; Fair Concoctions; Chicken or the Egg; Cobbler Cook-Off; Tex Mex; and Candy.

The 2025 State Fair of Texas Cooking Contest Guide and the Cooking Contest Calendar are now available, with online registration opening on May 7, and closing Monday, July 28.

Blue Ribbon Battle
The State Fair of Texas is bringing back the Battle for the Blue Ribbons – a spring cooking competition consisting of three of the Fair’s most popular Creative Arts Cooking Contests: Cookies, Cakes, and Pies, running from May 16-May 18.

Amateur home cooks of all ages may enter for the chance to be awarded first, second, third, and honorable mention for a total of 40 blue-ribbon winners who will be invited to compete in their respective contests at the exclusive Best of Show-Down in the Competition Kitchen during the 2025 State Fair of Texas on October 5, 2025.

One contestant from each of the three contests will be awarded a Best of Show ribbon, allowing them to advance to a head-to-head battle for the Best of Show-Down grand prize. For more information about this specific competition and to register, visit BigTex.com/Battle.

Registration
Participants are encouraged use the online registration system for all contests. It allows the creation of a family account, which permits adults in the household to add additional contestants to the account and register youth contestants. Youth contestants will have their own designated entries for Creative Arts competitions, but all communications regarding those entries are sent to the primary adult on the account.

Although there are paper registration forms in the Arts & Crafts and Cooking Contest Guides that can be mailed to the Fair, it is recommended to use the online registration portal to ensure contestants receive helpful reminders and judging results of their respective contests.

The 2025 State Fair of Texas will opening on Friday, September 26, and run through Sunday, October 19.

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Skating into the holidays

Downtown Dallas debuts CultureMap City Rink at dazzling tree lighting

Photo by Ashley Gongora

Amber Barth from Skate VIDA performs during the CultureMap City Rink Tree Lighting Ceremony.

A rainy Thanksgiving-weekend forecast wasn't going to stop the official grand opening of the first-ever CultureMap City Rink, presented by Verizon, at Main Street Garden in downtown Dallas.

On Friday, November 28, representatives from Downtown Dallas, Inc., Verizon, and CultureMap gathered with the community for a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the outdoor ice rink that has transformed the downtown park into a magical winter wonderland.

Just after sunset, at 6 pm, guests were welcomed from center ice by CultureMap editorial director Stephanie Merry; Downtown Dallas, Inc. VP of marketing and communications Monica Gonzalez, and Keli Ferguson of the Verizon team. As they were about to begin the countdown to light the tree, Santa and Mrs. Claus skated out to surprise the crowd.

"I've made my list and checked it twice, and it turns out Dallas is very, very nice," Santa told the delighted audience. Then he counted down, "5-4-3-2-1!" and flipped the switch to illuminate the sparkling 35-foot tree.

The majestic sounds of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Carol of the Bells" filled the air, and a group of young skaters from the Skate VIDA skating school glided onto the rink. They twirled, spun, and jumped like future Olympians on the ice.

Amber Barth, a U.S. Figure Skating national-level competitor from Skate VIDA, gave a mesmerizing solo performance.

CultureMap City Rink tree lighting 2025 Amber Barth of Skate VIDA performs after the tree is lit.Photo by Ashley Gongora

When the rink re-opened to the public, kids (and their parents) slid and scurried onto the ice for the chance to skate and take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Families fueled up at Rudolph's Rinkside Cafe, presented by DRG Concepts (the folks behind Wild Salsa, Chop House Burger, Wicked Butcher). Warm barbacoa tacos, fried chicken sliders, nachos, churros, and hot chocolate hit the spot as the night grew chillier.

Guests who were 21-and-up lingered at the Après Chalet lounge on the other side of the rink. The cozy gathering area features nooks with inviting Adirondack chairs next to pipe-stoves - the perfect place to warm up with cocktails showcasing Shiner Spirits or sip on a Yuegling beer.

The CultureMap City Rink, nestled beneath the colorful tall buildings downtown, brings the fun and festive feel of Rockefeller Center to Dallas. (It's the only ice rink in downtown Dallas this holiday season - and yes, it is real ice.)

CultureMap City Rink tree lighting 2025 The rink will be open through January 5, 2026.Photo by Ashley Gongora

The rink will be open through January 5, 2026. Visitors can expect themed pop-ups and a full slate of programming designed for every kind of holiday reveler. From romantic Date Skate Wednesdays to Family Movie Nights and Shop + Skate Saturday Markets, there’s something new happening each week:

Dallas Holiday Parade Activation — Saturday, December 6
Cheap Skate Mondays — Select Mondays
Date Skate — Select Wednesdays
Family Movie Night — Select Fridays
Shop + Skate Night Market — Select Saturdays
Santa Skate — Select Sundays

Photo by Ashley Gongora

Amber Barth from Skate VIDA performs during the CultureMap City Rink Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Regular hours are Monday-Friday from 4-10 pm, Saturdays 10 am-10 pm, and Sundays 10 am-8 pm. During school holidays (December 19-January 4), hours expand to 10 am-10 pm Monday-Saturday and 10 am-8 pm on Sundays. Special holiday hours will take place December 24 & 31 (10 am-7 pm) and December 25 & January 1 (1 pm-7 pm).

Tickets are $18 for all ages, and include skate rentals and 75 minutes of ice time. Advance tickets, group reservations, and private rink rentals are available at cityrink.culturemap.com.

Scroll through the photos, above, to see highlights of the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

holiday attractions christmas downtown dallas city rink