Ever wonder who creates our iconic cow every year? Next year, it could be you. Every Kansas City Irish Fest has a cow, and every cow has an artist. For our 25th anniversary, we're opening the commission to you. The winning artwork appears on festival posters, t-shirts, tickets, signage, and more.
Entries are open now through February 1, 2027. Winners announced March 17, 2027.
Who Can Enter
Two divisions:
- Junior — 17 and under
- Adult — 18 and over
Professional, student, and amateur illustrators are all welcome to enter.
Requirements
- One entry per person.
- All entries must be original creations. AI-created or AI-enhanced art will not be accepted.
- Traditional or digital media are both allowed.
- All entries must feature an image of a cow with at least one prominent shamrock-shaped spot, in keeping with our tradition.
Prizes
Adult division winner receives a complete Irish Fest VIP package: weekend hotel accommodations, sponsor passes, drink tickets, and special festival experiences — plus an onstage appearance at the festival where the winner is announced. If the adult winner is unable to attend the festival, a $500 cash prize will be awarded instead.
Junior division winner receives a $100 cash prize.
Judging
Entries are judged by a jury of former Irish Fest cow artists.
How to Enter
Email your entry to KCIFCowContest@gmail.com by February 1 at 11:59pm Central Time. Please include your name, age or division and contact information.
File Requirements
What to send
We accept PDF, JPEG, or PNG files. PDF is preferred — it holds up best whether your artwork is digital or scanned.
Size and resolution
- At least 2400 pixels on the shortest side (equivalent to 300 dpi at 8" × 10")
- Files should be under 20MB
- RGB color is fine — we handle print conversion on our end
- Have a larger file? Send a Google Drive or Dropbox link instead of an attachment
Working on paper?
A flatbed scan at 300 dpi or higher gives the best results. If you're photographing your artwork instead, lay it flat in even daylight with no flash, shoot straight on, and crop to the edges of the piece. Clear, well-lit images give your work the fairest shot with the jury.
Name your file like this
LastName_FirstName_Division
Example: Murphy_Kate_Adult.pdf
Include in your email
- Your full name
- Your age and division (Junior or Adult)
- Email and phone number
- Junior entrants: a parent or guardian's name and contact information
A note on color
Your design will appear on posters, t-shirts, tickets, and signage. Artwork that reads well in a limited number of colors tends to reproduce best across all of these. This isn't a requirement — just something to keep in mind.
If you win
The winning artist will be asked to provide production files: layered native files or vector artwork (.AI, .EPS, or vector PDF), or raster files at 300 dpi at full poster size. Nothing extra is needed to enter.
Kansas City Irish Fest retains all rights to the winning artworks.