MI New Favorite Snack competition announced call for entries deadline

The MI New Favorite Snack competition based in Port Huron, Michigan, has announced a Call for Entries for its September 9, 2023, competition.

More than $75,000 in cash prizes will be given away at the event, with the top award recipient also receiving a distribution agreement with All Star Services, a breakroom services company based in Port Huron.

The event, in its second year, last year awarded more than $50,000 spread among five award recipients.

“During our inaugural year, more than 50 snack makers from across both the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan competed for the prize money,” Thelma Castillo, president and CEO of the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, said in the announcement. “We encourage those who did not win last year to return, and we look forward to seeing what new snacks have been dreamed up in kitchens across the state of Michigan.”

Deadline for entries is July 14, 2023. There is a $100 fee per entry.

Companies must meet the following requirements to be eligible for participation:

• Must be a Michigan Micro-Business (10 employees or less)
• Must carry the appropriate licensing and insurance
• Must be headquartered in Michigan
• Must have appropriately packaged product available for consumer purchase

 The top 20 finalists will be announced the week of July 24.

All competitors who register for the competition, regardless of whether or not they are a finalist, will be invited to participate in the MI New Favorite Snack exhibition, giving them access to event attendees who can sample and/or purchase packaged goods. Only the top 20 finalists are eligible to win prize money and the title of MI New Favorite Snack 2023.

This year’s event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 9, at the McMorran Plaza in the heart of downtown Port Huron. Judging will take place from 10 to 11 a.m., and the event will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All competitors will be provided with a 10' x 10' space, an 8-foot table and two chairs. Competitors must provide their own 10’ x 10’ pop up weighted tent (no stakes allowed in the plaza). 

For more information and to register, visit the MI New Favorite Snack page on the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce website at: www.BlueWaterChamber.com.

The MI New Favorite Snack competition is presented by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, with the following partners: All Star Services, the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Port Huron, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and lead sponsor McLaren Port Huron.