Appalachian Trail Days T-Shirt Design Contest
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The 2025 Trail Days graphic is by Nicholas Danger McPherson.
Stay tuned for the 2026 design contest this November/December!
Calling all artists and creatives!
You could be the designer of the official Appalachian Trail Days t-shirts!
Each year in May, thousands of people gather in Damascus, Virginia for the world’s largest celebration of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail Days Festival, and the trail itself, bring along people, stories, and cultures from all walks of life to Damascus. We want to celebrate that! We are looking for a design that captures the greater Trail Days experience and appeals to a broad audience of festival-goers.
Submissions will be accepted until January 15 at 5:00 PM EST.
Vote at the Appalachian Trail Days Facebook page from January 22 to January 30.
Voting ends on January 30 at 5:00 PM EST.
Vote at the Appalachian Trail Days Facebook page from January 22 to January 30.
Voting ends on January 30 at 5:00 PM EST.
Eligibility & Entry
The official design for the 2025 Appalachian Trail Days Festival will be featured on promotional, marketing, and other materials, including official merchandise, the festival guide, and online on the website and social media.
Design Specs
How the official design is selected
Entries will be evaluated by the Town of Damascus and reviewed for:
Finalists will be announced on the Appalachian Trail Days Festival Facebook page after the contest deadline. The Town of Damascus will select the finalist designs for a voting contest (and reserves the right to select none). At the end of the voting period, the design with the most votes will be declared as the winner. The voting contest will be conducted by using 'likes' on a single post on the Facebook page during the voting period. Voters may 'like' as many designs as they want; limit one 'like' per design per profile/page.
Once the winner has been selected, the Town of Damascus will then determine the print size, placement, and shirt colors of the official Appalachian Trail Days Festival t-shirts. The Town of Damascus reserves the right to make adjustments and alterations to the winning entry to optimize it for printing and will do its best to preserve the integrity of the artwork. The Artist agrees to work with the Town of Damascus and the printer to ensure high-quality printing.
The Winner will receive
$100 cash prize
Prize package including two (2) Appalachian Trail Days 2024 t-shirts
Recognition on the Trail Days website and social media throughout the event
Finalists will receive
Prize package including one (1) Appalachian Trail Days 2024 t-shirt
Recognition on the Appalachian Trail Days Festival Facebook page throughout the voting contest
The official design for the 2025 Appalachian Trail Days Festival will be featured on promotional, marketing, and other materials, including official merchandise, the festival guide, and online on the website and social media.
- Only one design submission per person is allowed. There is no entry fee to submit a design.
- All entrants must be 18 years or older. All federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations apply.
- Your design must be original and unpublished. By submitting a design you guarantee that it does not contain any copyright material.
- The following design types are not acceptable and will be disqualified: AI-generated, the use of copyrighted templates, or stock design elements from Canva or other programs.
- The deadline to submit a design is January 15th at 5:00 PM EST. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- NOTE: ALL Entries become the property of the Town of Damascus upon submission.
Design Specs
- File Type: The design must be submitted as a PDF or PNG with a resolution of at least 300 DPI. Please name your file as [LastName-FirstName-DesignName].
- Finalist designs may be asked to produce an editable vector file (if not already provided) such as — AI, EPS, PDF, SVG, or a layered and editable PSD file. Hand-drawn designs are permitted but may require edits for the printing process.
- Recommended Artboard Size: 12” wide x 14” tall.
- Design Colors: The design may include two (2) to five (5) solid colors. No gradients, transparencies, shading, or photos. The t-shirt color (negative space) is not included in the color count and the artist is invited to recommend t-shirt colors for the design; Trail Days t-shirts are typically printed on Bella + Canvas unisex jersey and heather cvc short sleeve tees.
- Design Fonts: Fonts must be converted to outlines in the design file. Any fonts used must be free for commercial use; Adobe fonts are preferred.
- Must Include: “Appalachian Trail Days”, “2025”, and “Damascus, Virginia”. May also include “Festival” at the end of “Appalachian Trail Days”.
- Design Placement: May be centered on the front OR back of the t-shirt, to be determined by the Town of Damascus. The title sponsor logo will be placed on the opposite side of the t-shirt. A front design is preferred.
How the official design is selected
Entries will be evaluated by the Town of Damascus and reviewed for:
- Creative execution and originality of design
- Appeal to a broad audience of Appalachian Trail Days Festival -goers
- Relevance to Damascus and the Appalachian Trail
- Eye-catching and visible from a distance
- Production readiness for screenprinting
Finalists will be announced on the Appalachian Trail Days Festival Facebook page after the contest deadline. The Town of Damascus will select the finalist designs for a voting contest (and reserves the right to select none). At the end of the voting period, the design with the most votes will be declared as the winner. The voting contest will be conducted by using 'likes' on a single post on the Facebook page during the voting period. Voters may 'like' as many designs as they want; limit one 'like' per design per profile/page.
Once the winner has been selected, the Town of Damascus will then determine the print size, placement, and shirt colors of the official Appalachian Trail Days Festival t-shirts. The Town of Damascus reserves the right to make adjustments and alterations to the winning entry to optimize it for printing and will do its best to preserve the integrity of the artwork. The Artist agrees to work with the Town of Damascus and the printer to ensure high-quality printing.
The Winner will receive
$100 cash prize
Prize package including two (2) Appalachian Trail Days 2024 t-shirts
Recognition on the Trail Days website and social media throughout the event
Finalists will receive
Prize package including one (1) Appalachian Trail Days 2024 t-shirt
Recognition on the Appalachian Trail Days Festival Facebook page throughout the voting contest
Submit an entry in the Trail Days T-shirt Design Contest:
By submitting a design, you are agreeing to all contest rules and conditions as listed. If you have any questions, please contact the Town of Damascus at [email protected].
