A herringbone Michigan was the backbone of Angela Duncan's design for Mittenfest IV.

Can you believe Mittenfest is about two months away? It seems like it was yesterday that I left the Elbow Room after my 40th hour there in four days, tired, happy and carrying a check made from a PBR box and made out to 826michigan for $12,000.

For those of you not familiar with Mittenfest, it is a musical benefit that celebrates Michigan music (although there are always a handful of bands from other states) and Michigan pride (you see a WHOLE LOT of beards and plaid shirts!), and happens right around the holidays. Mittenfest benefits 826michigan’s free student programs.

Mittenfest V will happen Dec. 30 through Jan. 2, and will feature more than 40 bands AND a new, larger (read: every night might not sell out this time around!) venue: Savoy in Ypsilanti. We’ll have all the details to you soon enough; for now, I’m here to tell you 1) to mark your calendars and 2) about a new design contest we are having this year!

This year, we are having a contest for the design of Mittenfest V: The poster, the T-shirt, and the buttons. Last year, the amazing and talented Angela Duncan did this for us:

Angela Duncan's t-shirt and poster designs for Mittenfest IV. We sold out of both by the end of day three of the four-day event.

We are putting a call out for design submissions. Interested designers will need to make:

• An 11 x 17 poster for the event (can be full color)
• A two-color, one-sided T-shirt design (printed at VG Kids, check their website for shirt and ink colors)
• Up to four different button designs (can be full color)

Submissions open Nov. 1 and close Nov. 15. The winner will be contacted shortly after Thanksgiving. The winner will receive a poster, a T-shirt, and two of each button design.

If you would like to submit a design, please e-mail me, 826michigan Program Director Amy Sumerton. We will be announcing the final band line-up by the end of the month. I will send all interested designers the line-up when it is confirmed.

We are interested in all design aesthetics, but do tend to favor Michigan-centric designs. Best of luck!