Kids Essay Contest

Date: Sept 15, 2026

Time: 5:00 PM

Location(s):

Marketplace

Category(s):

Marketplace

DEADLINE: September 15

The Tennessee Association of Fairs and the Tennessee Society of the Sons of the American Revolution are sponsoring an America's 250th Anniversary Essay Contest for all 4th & 5th graders enrolled in public schools, private schools or those being home-schooled.

Each contestant must enter the contest through a local fair. Judging will be conducted at each fair and a winner selected by the fair's appointed judges. At the fair's conclusion. each fair will submit the winning essay and contact information of the winner to the representative of the Tennessee Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. A panel of judges from the SAR will determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place state-wide winners.

The 1st place winner will be invited to attend the Tennessee Association of Fair's Annual Convention on Saturday, January 16, 2027, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Murfreesboro, TN. At the convention, the winner will read his/her winning essay and be presented with a check for $500.

The topic of this year's contest will be: The Signing of the Declaration of Independence: What was its purpose, and how was this a dangerous act to those who signed it?

Awards: The winner of each county fair will receive an Award of Achievement from the SAR, and a Commemorative America 250th Coin. The Nashville Fair will award the winner a commemorative fair poster and a family four pack consisting of 4 fair tickets and 2 ride wristbands. The three (3) state finalists will receive the following: 1st Place: $500 2nd Place: $300 3rd Place: $200

For more information, or questions, please email info@nashfair.fun. Submit entries either by emailing them in a word document with the author’s name, grade, and county along with a parent or guardian name, phone number, and email address at the top to info@nashfair.fun by September 15, 2026. Contestants may also drop off a copy to The Fairgrounds Nashville office M-F from 10am-4pm if email is not available.