The Swamp Fest 2025 Swamp Monster Contest drew nine creative contestants this year, with participants ranging from young children to adults.
To keep the competition fair, younger children were judged separately from older kids and adults. “No matter how great a costume, we’ve found that adults cannot win against cute kids,” organizers said. The contest was adjusted to reflect this.
Children competed for prizes of $50 for first place, $20 for second place, and $10 for third place. Older kids and adults vied for $100 for first place, $50 for second place, and $25 for third place.
All participating kids received a Swamp Fest coloring book featuring original artwork submitted for the Swamp Fest T-shirt design contest. Many of the artists are from local schools and enjoy seeing their work shared with the community.
Proceeds from the event will benefit local charities.
![Emma Danielson of Weeki Wachee. This is her 3rd year with the contest and was last year’s overall winner. This year, she won 2nd place for kids. [Courtesy photo]](https://www.hernandosun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-18.jpg)
![Stacie Jones of Clearwater. She took the 3rd place prize. [Courtesy photo]](https://www.hernandosun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IMG_00272.jpg)
