Ready to Design History?

Join 55 years of artistic tradition and create the image that will welcome our community to the 2027 U District Street Fair.

Timeline

November 2, 2026 – Deadline for Poster Art Submissions

Submit your concept sketch for the 11″x17″ poster and a link to your portfolio using the instructions below.

November 20, 2026 – Round 1 Finalists Notified

Up to four designs will be selected to advance to Round 2.

December 18, 2026 – Round 2 Submission Due

Deadline for selected finalists to submit completed designs. Each finalists will receive $500 upon submission of Round 2 artwork.

January 15, 2027 – Winner Notification

Winner contacted privately, a public announcement to follow! Winner will receive $3,500 for winning the poster design contest, plus an additional $1,500 for the additional marketing materials upon completion.

March 1, 2027 – Final Materials Due

All additional marketing assets delivered by winning designer, and ready for production!

Poster Art Submission Process

Read the Q&A here

The deadline to submit a poster design is Monday, November 2, 2026; please use the instructions below to submit your artwork for consideration.

Contact Information:

  • Submit your design via email to poster@udistrictpartnership.org and include the following information:
  • Subject Line: Street Fair Poster Design Submission — Your Name
  • Include in your email:
    • Artist Name:
    • Email:
    • Phone Number:
    • Portfolio Link: URL to a portfolio of work designed exclusively by you (Website, Online Folder, Instagram)
    • Artist Statement: Briefly describe your design concept and connection to the U District community (up to about 200 words)

* If you are submitting a design as a group, there must be one point of contact and one primary designee for any payments.

Artwork & Dimensions

Your Round 1 design concept should be a basic sketch or mockup produced as an 11in × 17in that shows your creative direction and vision, attached or sent via shared drive as a high-resolution PDF or any standard photo format (at least 300 dpi). Please note, finished art (in Round 2) must be produced in vector-based format for scalability and print production.

  • Please include your name in the filename for your artwork submission: e.g., 2027_StreetFair_PosterContest_JohnDoe.pdf (for multiple entries use _02, _03, etc.)
  • Create a design concept using the standard poster dimension 11in x 17in. 
    • Design must also work in single-color printing (i.e. for use on staff shirts, tote bags, etc.) — this means that the typography and some elements can be pulled to create other pieces for the event.
  • File Type for Round 1: a high-resolution PDF or any standard photo format (300 dpi minimum) is acceptable.
    • Note for Round 2 final art submissions: Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files are preferred, but .eps or .svg vector formats are also accepted. All designs must be vector-based for scalability and print reproduction.
  • Artwork must contain the following design and text elements:
    • Event title: U District Street Fair
    • Event dates: May 15-16, 2027
    • Website: udistrictstreetfair.org
    • Sponsor Logo area: Reserve the bottom 2 inches for sponsor logos. Sponsor logos will be added in single-color (white or other appropriate contrasting color).