Stardew Valley Festivals and Contests: How to Enter and Win

Do this first

1. 01
   Check the calendar date, entry location and entry window before leaving the farm.
2. 02
   Water crops and feed animals first unless the event explicitly pauses ordinary time and chores.
3. 03
   Bring nine varied high-quality items for the Fair, one suitable ingredient for the Luau and one gift for the Winter Star recipient.
4. 04
   Talk to Mayor Lewis or the named event host when the contest requires a manual start.
5. 05
   Collect displayed items and prizes before leaving; use Lewis's lost-and-found box for forgotten Fair items.

The complete annual festival calendar

The 1.6 calendar mixes closed-map festivals with mini-festivals where shops stay open and time continues. The entry column tells you whether participation starts automatically, through Lewis or simply by fishing.

Win the Fair by filling nine slots and six categories

The Grange Display begins with 14 base points. Nine submitted items add 9 more points, and each recognized category adds 5 points up to 30. The eight categories are Animal Products, Artisan Goods, Cooking, Fish, Foraging, Fruits, Minerals and Vegetables; six categories reach the diversity cap.

Quality and sell value supply the remaining item points, so there is no universal nine-item set for every farm or profit-margin setting. Bring nine strong items from at least six categories, place them in the display, ask Lewis to judge, then collect both the result and the physical items before leaving.

• 90 points: first place and 1,000 Star Tokens.
• 75 points: second place and 500 tokens.
• 60 points: third place and 250 tokens.
• Leaving slots empty reduces the item-count score.

Start the Egg Hunt only after shopping

Talking to Lewis begins the Egg Hunt and ends the social and shopping portion. Buy Strawberry Seeds or event furniture first, then start when you are ready.

The 50-second target changes with player count. In multiplayer, merely reaching the threshold does not guarantee the prize; the highest qualifying egg total wins, with tied leaders sharing the win.

Treat each fishing event as a different ruleset

Festival of Ice supplies its own rod and requires five completed catches. Trout Derby has no start bell: Rainbow Trout can yield Golden Tags, and tags can be saved. SquidFest instead tracks a daily catch total and resets it between Winter 12 and 13.

Trout Derby and SquidFest are mini-festivals where ordinary time, farm chores and most shops continue. Prepare bait, tackle, food and inventory space rather than assuming the event pauses the rest of the day.

Separate contributions, invitations and observation events

The Luau asks for one soup ingredient; the Flower Dance asks for a partner and normally four hearts; the Winter Star asks for a named recipient's gift. These are participation gates, not score tables.

Moonlight Jellies, Spirit's Eve and the Night Market do not require a competitive entry. Use their location and time windows, then follow the in-event prompt instead of carrying Fair items to every festival.

Official sources