Bread Contests

$0.00

PRIZES 

One blue (1st place) ribbon will be awarded in each of the following categories:

  • Best Sourdough 

  • Best Cornbread

Blue (1st place), red (2nd place), and white (3rd place) ribbons will be awarded in the following category:

  • Best Focaccia

RULES

  1. Individuals may not submit more than one entry for each of the categories listed above.

  2. Each entry must be a whole, unsliced loaf.

  3. Each entry must be made from scratch (no prebaked, premade/packaged bread mixes).

  4. Bread cannot contain any of the following: uncooked cream, cream cheese, Jell-O/gelatin, raw eggs, or other products that are high risk for spoilage. No items that require refrigeration will be accepted.

JUDGING CRITERIA

  1. Taste (40%)

    1. Sourdough has a delightful level of tanginess.

    2. Cornbread is either sweet or savory, and includes a rich, distinct corn flavor.

    3. Focaccia has a rich, subtle, slightly yeasty flavor.

  2. Appearance (30%)

    1. Sourdough has a crispy crust with a caramelized brown color.

    2. Cornbread has a bright golden color.

    3. Focaccia has a dimpled look with air pockets throughout.

  3. Texture (30%)

    1. Sourdough is pleasantly chewy.

    2. Cornbread is moist and soft with a pleasant grainy texture.

    3. Focaccia has a crisp crust and a light and chewy interior.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Register for the bread contest at https://www.dcstatefair.org/2026-contests by 11:00 pm on Friday, August 21. No walk-up registrations will be accepted.

  2. Bring your entry, accompanied with a removable label that includes a list of ingredients used in making your entry, your name, the contest category, and the name of the entry (see template), to the 4th Floor Conference Center at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St NW on Saturday, August 29 between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm.

PICKUP INSTRUCTIONS

  1. We encourage bringing entries in recyclable or compostable containers. If you need to pick up the container you brought your entry in, you (or someone on your behalf) must pick it up between 4:00 and 5:00 pm on the same day as judging (Saturday, August 29) from Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Leftovers from culinary entries are offered to judges and library staff so there may not be anything left of the entry.

Category:

PRIZES 

One blue (1st place) ribbon will be awarded in each of the following categories:

  • Best Sourdough 

  • Best Cornbread

Blue (1st place), red (2nd place), and white (3rd place) ribbons will be awarded in the following category:

  • Best Focaccia

RULES

  1. Individuals may not submit more than one entry for each of the categories listed above.

  2. Each entry must be a whole, unsliced loaf.

  3. Each entry must be made from scratch (no prebaked, premade/packaged bread mixes).

  4. Bread cannot contain any of the following: uncooked cream, cream cheese, Jell-O/gelatin, raw eggs, or other products that are high risk for spoilage. No items that require refrigeration will be accepted.

JUDGING CRITERIA

  1. Taste (40%)

    1. Sourdough has a delightful level of tanginess.

    2. Cornbread is either sweet or savory, and includes a rich, distinct corn flavor.

    3. Focaccia has a rich, subtle, slightly yeasty flavor.

  2. Appearance (30%)

    1. Sourdough has a crispy crust with a caramelized brown color.

    2. Cornbread has a bright golden color.

    3. Focaccia has a dimpled look with air pockets throughout.

  3. Texture (30%)

    1. Sourdough is pleasantly chewy.

    2. Cornbread is moist and soft with a pleasant grainy texture.

    3. Focaccia has a crisp crust and a light and chewy interior.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Register for the bread contest at https://www.dcstatefair.org/2026-contests by 11:00 pm on Friday, August 21. No walk-up registrations will be accepted.

  2. Bring your entry, accompanied with a removable label that includes a list of ingredients used in making your entry, your name, the contest category, and the name of the entry (see template), to the 4th Floor Conference Center at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St NW on Saturday, August 29 between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm.

PICKUP INSTRUCTIONS

  1. We encourage bringing entries in recyclable or compostable containers. If you need to pick up the container you brought your entry in, you (or someone on your behalf) must pick it up between 4:00 and 5:00 pm on the same day as judging (Saturday, August 29) from Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Leftovers from culinary entries are offered to judges and library staff so there may not be anything left of the entry.