Town of Essex Launches Barn Quilt Contest

The Town of Essex is calling on creative residents to showcase their artistic talents by entering the 2026 Barn Quilt Design Contest!

The contest opens Monday, July 13, 2026, and runs until Friday, August 14, 2026. Sponsored by local businesses, Harrow Home Hardware and International Door Company, the contest offers participants the opportunity to design an original barn quilt pattern for a chance to win the supplies needed to bring their vision to life. Once installed, the winning barn quilt will be featured on the Town of Essex's online Barn Quilt Trail.

"Our Barn Quilt Trail has become a wonderful way to celebrate the creativity, heritage, and rural character of Essex," said the Mayor of the Town of Essex. "This contest gives residents the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on our community while helping to grow a unique attraction that tells the story of our agricultural roots.”

The contest is open to Town of Essex residents 18 years of age and older. Entries must be original designs intended for properties located on agricultural lands within the Town of Essex that do not already display a barn quilt.

To enter, participants can download or pick up an official contest entry page, sketch and colour their design by hand or digitally using the official template, and submit it online, by email, or in person. 

Entry forms are available online, or for pick-up at Town Hall, the Gesto Office Planning Department, Essex Recreation Complex, Maedel Community Centre, Essex Centre Sports Complex, Harrow & Colchester South Community Centre, and the Essex, Harrow, and McGregor library branches.