Vidalia Onion Festival Cookoff and Onion Eating Champions Crowned

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The champions of the 49th Annual Vidalia Onion Festival Recipe Contest and World Famous Onion Eating Contest officially took home bragging rights and cash prizes on Saturday, April 25.

The Recipe Contest heated up first, as children and adults cooked up their best dishes featuring the Vidalia Onion.

Kim Fickes took home the prize for overall best dish and the miscellaneous category. Fickes said that the win comes with a lot of excitement, as she and her friends had plans last year to make a trip from Beaufort, South Carolina, to the Vidalia Onion Festival to compete with the recipe but were unable to come because of unforeseen circumstances. “It’s been a long time coming!” she emphasized.

Loretta Fountain followed in the miscellaneous category, as Loretta’s Walkabout Soup earned second place, and Elaine Allen was awarded third place for her Vidalia Onion Bombs.

In the appetizer category, Elaine Allen was victorious with her Vidalia Onion Pepper Jelly Cream Cheese Cups, with Eve Helton taking second place with her Vidalia Onion Whipped Feta Bruschetta and Janice Graham following in third place with her Cheesy Onion Pinwheels.

Michelle Tyson took home the top honors in the side dish category with her Sea Island Pea Salad. Elaine Allen came in second place with her Pineapple Cranberry Spring Cheese Log, and Janice Graham earned third place with her Onion Cabbage with Sausage.

This year, Vidalia Onion Recipe Contest Organizer Paige Alexander expanded the competition, as she added a youth category to the competition. Taylor Kate Brown took home the inaugural first-place prize of the division with her Sweet Vidalia Bacon Pinwheels, while Charlee Adams earned second place with her Savory Vidalia Spread and third place with her Sweet Onion Southern Tarts.

Across the street at the Arts and Crafts Festival, the annual Onion Eating Contest brought over twenty people to the festival’s stage, as they each sought to win a cash prize and bragging rights.

In the youth competition, Glenville Native Kavari Cooper beat out her competitors to take home the top honors by eating two whole onions, while Keagan Leon took second place.

In the teen competition, Jake Watkins – who was visiting the area from Douglas – ate his way to first place, consuming two whole onions. Vidalia Native Peyton Coursey followed closely behind in second place, while Lyons Native Findley Crowe took home third place.

Competitors came from as far as El Paso, Texas, and Virginia for the adult competition to claim the prize as the World Famous Onion Eating Competition Champion. Ultimately, it was Joshua Sweeney – who was visiting the area from Woodstock, Georgia – who took home the top prize, eating over four onions.

The 49th Annual Vidalia Onion Festival officially ended at 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, as the last event – the carnival – closed to the public. Beginning next week, the Vidalia Onion Festival Committee will meet again and start planning the 50th Annual Vidalia Onion Festival, which is slated for next April.

OVERALL WINNER – Kim Fickes took home the bragging rights and cash prize as the overall winner of the 2026 Vidalia Onion Recipe Contest.Photo by Makaylee Randolph