FORT WORTH _ Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to sharpen your pencils, crayons and design skills.

Mayfest has announced a logo design competition for the 2012 anniversary design to be used for the 2012 festival.  The competition will select the design for the 40^th anniversary logo to be used on the Mayfest website, festival t-shirts, posters, cups and billboards.

 Mayfest, Fort Worth’s annual festival spanning 33 acres along the banks of the Trinity River, will be held May 3 through 6, 2012.

Each artist may submit a maximum of three designs.  All submissions should represent “the feel and flavor of Mayfest,” according to organizers, and reference the 40^th anniversary.  Additionally, each entry must have an element of the park and river, and be appropriate for all ages. Wording, color, file format, and submission aspects are required as well.  Complete requirements and guidelines may be found at www.mayfest.org.

Entry deadline is Aug. 5, and entriesshould be mailed to Mayfest, Inc., 6115 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 160, Fort Worth, Texas 76116. 

Mayfest, presented by Mayfest, Inc., is a four-day family festival attracting more than 200,000 people annually.  All profits from Mayfest, $6 million to date, are distributed to its founding organizations that support the greater Fort Worth area through the beautification and recreational development of the Trinity River and local parks, as well as various community programs.

Mayfest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

This photo from 2008 shows what Mayfest could have been if not canceled this year because of the threat of an outbreak of swine flu.

The masses have spoken, and they say, “Save Mayfest.”

The spring festival, held annually along the banks of the Trinity River in Fort Worth, was canceled this year because of the threat of a swine flu outbreak. The 11th-hour cancellation left the organizers holding the bag with debts large enough to threaten the 37-year-old festival’s future.

One idea for rescuing Mayfest came from an email written by Kelly Reeves, a longtime supporter of the festival. As a result, Mayfest, Inc. is searching for 1,000 people to donate $100 each in 100 days.

Reeves’ email reads, “If just 1000 people donated $100.000 we can HELP SAVE MAYFEST. I know if we had been at Mayfest this year I would have easily spent that money on bounce houses, knick knacks, great food.”

Donations to SAVE MAYFEST can be mailed to Mayfest, Inc., 255 Bailey Ave., Fort Worth 76107 or made online at www.mayfest.org. Donations are tax-deductible because Mayfest, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 organization.

In another fundrasing effort, a benefit concert, also named SAVE MAYFEST, has been announced for noon to 10:30 p.m. July 12 at LaGrave Field, Fort Worth. Scheduled to perform are Reckless Kelly, Micky and Motorcars, Crossroads, 281 South and Clay Jarvis Band.

Tickets will be $20 for adults and $10 for children 6 to 12 years of age. Children under 5 will be admitted free. Open seating will be available, but attendees also may bring blankets and lawn chairs. Parking will cost $5.

Fort Worth’s oldest family festival, Mayfest is organized by Mayfest, Inc. and annually draws more than 200,000 people. The four-day festival was canceled just three hours before it was scheduled to open April 30th in an effort to prevent an epidemic of swine flu.  For more information, check www.mayfest.org.