2025 Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Annual Fair Poster Contest

Our 2025 Fair Poster Contest is now open! Submissions are due by 4 PM on Friday, April 11th.

Since the first Fair in 1858, the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Annual Fair continues to be one of the highlights of summer for Islanders and visitors alike, showcasing our rich and diverse agricultural heritage. Fair posters have become an integral part of the annual summer event, with each poster telling a story and becoming a collector's item. Below are some guidelines to help in creating your submission for the 2025 Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Annual Poster Contest. 

Goal  

  • Design a poster that creatively captures the heart of the 163rd annual Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair. Poster should reflect the specific activities and atmosphere of the annual Agricultural Fair, rather than the island at large.  

Eligibility 

  • Open to all: students, nonprofessional artists, and professional artists. This competition is aimed at mature artists; we encourage children to also enter their poster submissions in the Hall. One entry per person.  

Submission Requirements  

  • Entry must include a completed official entry form, available for download below. 

  • All mediums are welcome.  

  • Horizontal or vertical formats are both acceptable. 

  • Overall poster size must be 18 inches by 24 inches. If the ink bleeds to the edge of the printed sheet, an allowance for a bleed must be provided. The bleed should extend beyond the trim size by 1/8” on all sides. 

  • The image must contain the event name and fair dates: 163rd Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Fair, August 21, 22, 23 & 24, 2025.  

  • Original artwork must be submitted. No digital submissions will be accepted.  

  • Text and design should be high contrast. Poster text and details should be visible from 10 feet away and at ¼ size (like it will be printed on small kids’ shirts). 

  • Entries must be submitted in person, by mail or by another carrier and received by Friday, April 11th, 2025. 

By Mail: MVAS, PO Box 73, West Tisbury, MA 02575  

By UPS or FedEx: MVAS, 35 Panhandle Road, West Tisbury, MA 02575  

In person: MV Agricultural Hall, 35 Panhandle Road, West Tisbury, MA 02575  

Selection  

  • Contest will end at 4 PM on Friday, April 11th. Entries must be received in our office by this deadline. 

  • The judges will select one winning design: a creative, original, and eye-catching image that best captures the spirit and essence of the Fair.    

  • The winning submission will be presented as a poster and reproduced on the Fair t-shirt and other Fair merchandise and materials. Judges will consider graphic readability in their decision-making process. 

  • Ownership of the reproduction of the artwork is wholly owned by the MV Agricultural Society for any items chosen for reproduction. Items may include, but are not limited to: posters, t-shirts and related clothing, and printed matter to promote the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society. 

  • The winner of the 2025 poster contest will receive a $200 cash prize and a 4-day pass to the Fair. 

  • Fair poster contest entrants are not permitted to produce or publicize any materials with their design until after the 2025 Fair (August 25th, 2025). Fair poster contest submissions cannot be entered into the Hall at the Fair. 

Please call 508-693-9549 or email programs@mvagsoc.org with any questions. Many thanks and good luck! 

Official Entry Form