festivals - Ribbon Impressions

Fairs and Festivals: Awarding Winners

Being presented with an award gives a sense of validation. It also provides a way for the receiver to feel valued for their accomplishments. Fairs and festivals are one of these opportunities to recognize winners. From animals to horticulture, everyone who participates is anxiously awaiting a prize!

From equestrian events to pie eating contests, these ribbons are perfect for all of your fairs and festivals during this spring and summer.

Custom ribbon types for fairs and festivals from personalized ribbons.

Most ribbons represent up to nine places and also participation awards. All our rosette ribbons are high quality and can be ordered as custom or stock rosette award ribbons. And ribbons are perfect for awards for any event. Everyone will want a prestigious award for a job well done, from sports and hobbies to business achievements and education. Here are some ribbons to get you started.

Stock Rosette Ribbons

Stock award blue rosette ribbon with victory torch for first place.

Find an award ribbon that suits all of your winners for your next fair or festival, from animals to events. Make all festival-goers feel accomplished with affordable stock rosette ribbons. Children love receiving rosette ribbons for the first, second and third place for corn tossing, bobbing for apples, sack racing and other fun games. Adults love these ribbons for their simplicity and quick recognition.

Achievement Ribbons

Field day achievement ribbon to give to winners and all participants.

Even our stock options for flat prize ribbons will make your fair and festival winners feel special. Use these simple ribbons to include everyone and make sure they know you appreciate their hard work. Give these ribbons to participants and anyone who shows up! Recognize everyone and thank them for their help in making your event the best.

Badge Ribbons

One vertical and one horizontal badge ribbon custom designed for a garden show and a volunteer title to be used at fairs and festivals.

Badge ribbons are great for labeling items and bringing more color to your event. For example, create labels for a cakewalk with ribbons that specify which cake is which. Designate festival workers, volunteers, and vendors with color-coded ribbons to make their name badges for bigger events. If your company is hosting a festival, spotlight employees and staff members with personalized ribbons with their names and job titles.

Custom Top Ribbons

Custom top ribbon designed for a fair or festival advertisement.

Looking for something more custom but still just as simple? Check out our custom top ribbon selection. All of these ribbons are available with full color printing so you can add anything you need. From text to graphics (and even photographic images), these are the perfect answer to your fair and festival ribbon needs. And most of these ribbons come with record cards to personalize for winners and all participants.

Fairs and Festivals: Additional Products

By their very nature, award ribbons suggest that something extraordinary has happened. Whether presenting an award at a student fair, an animal showcase or a sporting event, every award should accurately reflect the achievement. However, don’t underestimate other award and festival products.

1st place award plaque for spring fairs and festivals with a green engraved metal plate.

Award Plaques

Celebrating winners is what spring and summer events are all about, and plaques accomplish this with flair.

Lanyards

Custom lanyards are the perfect advertising tool to get people excited for your upcoming fair or festival.

Best of Show: Festivals and Fairs

State festivals and county fairs have two things in common: the elusive best of show and award ribbons. From incredible horse shows, food demonstrations and live music to fried food, butter sculptures and roller coasters, festivals and fairs can be an incredible experience. And, don’t forget the best part: those best of show ribbons! But, before we get into our favorite topic of ribbons, let’s talk about the difference between a festival and a fair.

a festival and a fair both have something in common: best of show award ribbons

FESTIVAL vs. FAIR

Briefly, a festival is a gathering of people to celebrate something, historically religious holidays (feast days), but now also secular ones, e.g., Kwanzaa, or the Burning Man, initially held to celebrate the summer solstice. Mardi Gras is a famous New Orleans festival, a religious one celebrated more quietly in other areas.

A fair is a gathering of vendors or tradespeople for the entertainment, commerce or other purpose. There are job fairs (hardly a festival), book fairs, farm shows (also called fairs) where people show their prized livestock or farm products for the entertainment (and often sales for charity) of both fellow farmers and non-farmers alike, county fairs (mostly just summer entertainment), etc.

So now that we know the difference between a festival and a fair, we can focus on more important things. Things like how to win your Best of Show ribbon!

While we do not have specifics, especially when it comes to things other than ribbons themselves, on what the best looking cow is or if you have the best tasting chili, we do have a little bit of advice. No matter your location, from Texas to Minnesota, the best thing you can do to win that coveted prize ribbon is to try your hardest. Work on your craft and put the required time in to make sure you know what you’re doing.

Here at Coller Industries, that is exactly what we do with our custom ribbons (and every personalized product we sell). We have been working on our craft for decades, and are top in our trade. So, while we can’t really award ourselves with Best of Show ribbons (judges consider that cheating), we might just try.

But, don’t take our word for it!

Jeff Halbach, a poultry judge at the 2018 Minnesota state fair, said, “The birds that end up on champion row usually are sound in body, correct and bright in color, have been cleaned and prepared for showing by their owners. And, finally, they have that winning personality.”

Emily Griffiths, also a judge (beef cattle) at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair, said, “I have always believed that beef heifer shows are very comparable to a beauty pageant in that it is about combining desirable female traits in a well-presented form with poise and style. You want an amount of body and muscle that is proportional and well suited to the animal’s frame with excellent structure. What separates an ordinary cow in the pasture from a champion at the state fair are those heifers with an extra amount of class, style, and grace. Those characteristics are not just limited to people—cattle can have those, too!”

Okay, on to those elusive Best of Show ribbons!

Rosette ribbons are seen everywhere at a fair. From giant pumpkins to those cute baby piglets, they are the classic touch at your local state or county fair. There are plenty of titles and stock ribbons from which to choose or make custom fair ribbons. They can have any award or honor imprinted to meet all of your needs.

From county fairs to holiday festivals, personalized ribbons are sure to bring home the Best of Show! And, no matter your ribbon choice, we have something to meet all of your festival and fair needs. Whether it is a pie eating contest or a 4-H event, ribbon rolls are sure to amaze with the right customization. Rosette ribbons are available as stock titles (yes, Best of Show included) or customize your own. They are a great way to make sure all winners are recognized for any achievement.

best of show stock rosette ribbon from Personalized Ribbons

But, enough about us, what about you? Are you planning on taking home Best of Show this year? Will it be your prized pig or your mom’s best blueberry pie?

SHOP AWARD RIBBONS

May Day: A Ribbon’s Dream Come True!

Celebrated in many countries, May Day, also known as Beltane, is a traditional summertime festival. May Day is also an international day of celebration honoring workers.

The secular versions of May Day, observed in Europe and North America, may be best known for their traditions of dancing around the maypole and crowning the Queen of May. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of May baskets, small baskets of sweets or flowers usually left anonymously on neighbors’ doorsteps.

Ribbon tassels on trees and long ribbon rolls for maypoles provide a splash of color for this festive day. While May Day traditions vary with each culture, ribbons will help enrich the festivities. From baskets of goodies to festive outfits, ribbons are perfect for this summer day!

Maypoles

A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected in various European folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often occurs.

These poles are a fun activity for all ages, so be sure to use all your ribbon rolls. Traditionally, boys and girls dance in opposite directions around the pole with their ribbons to form an intricate pattern. These ribbons are bright and colorful to represent the coming summer months. Dancers traditionally wear bells and colorful ribbons around their knees or ankles to keep the festivities light and fun.

Colorful ribbons woven around a maypole for a May Day celebration.

Queen of May

The May Queen or Queen of May is a personification of the May Day holiday, springtime and summer.

The chosen lady usually represents the queen by wearing a crown of flowers and colorful ribbons. And what another great use for your ribbon rolls! Make your crown with bright, cheerful ribbons to wear for the day. Women of all ages will love these crowns and keep them as a remembrance of the day’s festivities.

May Day Baskets

People traditionally leave fun little baskets filled with flowers, chocolates and decorative ribbons on doorsteps for friends, family and neighbors. People would pick flowers from their gardens or stuff baskets with goodies and anonymously leave them at doors.

Adding personalized ribbons with sayings and thoughts for the holiday will make your baskets unique and memorable. Choose a bright color from any ribbon type, and add text and graphics that will help your gift stand out!

A neighbor May basket decorated with flowers and festive ribbons.

So, whether you have plans to dance around a maypole or merely leave goodies for your neighbors, remember to get fun, colorful ribbon rolls!

Double face satin ribbon rolls in three colors.

Floral DYNA satin ribbon rolls in two colors.

Explore Custom Ribbon Rolls