LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The annual Kelseyville Pear Festival essay contest is now welcoming submissions.

The 2023 Pear Essay Contest is open to any resident of Lake County, California age 18 and under.

Essays should be nonfiction and adhere to Modern Language Association, or MLA, style in both format and citation reference.

Entries may be personal history, informative narrative or any other nonfiction genre.

Essays should include reference to pears, pear trees, pear farming or any other pear-related topic the writer chooses.

Please limit essays to 1,000 words. Please state the name of your school and include your return address and phone number.

Essays will be evaluated for literary merit, relevance to the theme and creativity.

Prizes are:

• First place: $250.
• Second place: $150.
• Third place: $100.

Essays should be submitted no later than Sept. 17, 2023, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mail in care of M. Field, P.O. Box 161, Kelseyville, CA, 95451.

We will acknowledge receipt of each essay received electronically only.

U.S. Mail essays will not be acknowledged nor returned.