BERKELEY SPRINGS — The Berkeley Springs-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce has put together its second annual Apple Butter Festival Logo Contest, where people in the community can vote for their favorite design to be featured in the festival.
The contest started last year when chamber Executive Director Jules Happy Rone and her team decided to try something new by inviting people to send in submissions for the logo. They wanted to find a new tradition that got the community involved in planning the festival.
“Last year, we decided that we wanted to encourage the next generation of artists and get our community involved in the process,” Rone said. “We found a sponsor, put the word out, and the entries started pouring in. After hundreds of votes last year, the winner was chosen, and the winning design was used on all of our official Apple Butter Festival merchandise.”
The contestants were limited to using only two colors, and entries were to include the words “Apple Butter Festival” and “Berkeley Springs, WV.” After receiving over 30 submissions, the chamber asked Jean-Pierre & Carol Hsu to help choose three logos. The top three selections were then published for people to pick their favorite design.
“The submissions were judged on many criteria. Did they meet all of the listed requirements, did the design embody the spirit of the Apple Butter Festival and if it read well on merchandise were just a few of the things we looked for,” Rone said.
The contest is sponsored by Blue Flame, a family-owned propane delivery and equipment installation business in Berkeley Springs. The third-place winner will receive $75, second will receive $150, and first place will win the grand prize of $300, as well as the honor of seeing their logo throughout the festival. The design could show up on T-shirts, cups, promotional material and so much more.
“Berkeley Springs is known for our thriving artists community,” Rone said. “Any time we have a chance to celebrate and encourage artists — be they young students or professional artists — the chamber happily embraces that opportunity.”
Anyone interested can vote online until Wednesday. To learn more about the contest or vote for the best design, visit https://www.berkeleyspringschamber.com/logo-contest.
The 49th annual Berkeley Springs Apple Butter Festival is set to return Oct. 12-13.
