PINE CONE CONTESTS
Largest
Pine Cone Contest
2023 winners are:
Sugar pine: Rob Myers whose cone was 17.5 inches long!
Coulter pine: Nicol Merecenova, whose cone weighed 4 lbs, 1.2 oz!
Start looking now for YOUR entry next year!
Bring the heaviest Coulter and/or longest sugar pine and win prizes!!
You must turn your cone in at the Pine Cone Contest booth next to the stage by NOON on the day of the Festival
Late entries are not eligible.
2023 prizes were:
-2022-2023 Anytime Season Pass to Snow Valley Mountain Resort value up to $719
-Lodging at Pine Rose Cabins value $250
-Cross Country Ski or Snow Shoe Certificate for rentals and trail pass
Value $100
-$100 Gift certificate to Jensens
- $50 Gift Card to The Grill
If the record is broken, the winner receives even more prizes
Winners are announced at 1pm.
Please note: record breakers remain the property of the Pine Cone Festival and will be displayed at Pine Rose Cabins in Twin Peaks. All other entries must be collected by the owner by 3:30pm or will be made available for anyone who wants them or disposed of by the Festival.
Coulter pines and Sugar pines only. Coulters are measured by weight and Sugar pines are measured by length.
There is a winner in each category every year, but if your cone breaks the record there is a special Record Breaker prize!
The record to beat for Coulter is 5lbs, 2.8 oz. The length to beat for Sugar pine is 23-1/4".
A representative from the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) will be the judge in 2023. All decisions are final. In the case of a tie, there are guidelines in place for breaking the tie - only one winner per cone type.
PLEASE NOTE: For Coulter pines they cannot be "closed or "green" - this isn't a color, it is a state of the pine cone where the spikes are closed up. Please don't let your cone sit outside in wet weather before the contest as that can cause them to close up and be disqualified. For sugar pines, the STEM is not included in the length. See samples below. Speak with the judge at the Festival if you have any questions. The decision of the judge is final.
This is a "green" or "close" coulter
- not eligible!
These are open or seasoned coulters
- they are eligible
Pine Cone
Craft Contest
What amazing thing can you make out of a Pine Cone?
See RULES for On-Site creations! Check deadlines for entries!
Design you own charming pine cone craft! It can be humorous, beautiful, abstract or natural.
1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Prizes will be awarded in three age groups:
6th grade & under, 7th thru 12th grades, and Adults.
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2023 winners:
6th grade & Under - 1st place/Nash Nolfo from Cedar Glen $25 gift card to Village Ice Cream & Sweet Shoppe; 2nd place/TJ Byler from Arrowbear $15 gift card to Village Ice Cream & Sweet Shoppe; 3rd place/Ireland Morton from Blue Jay $10 gift card to Village Ice Cream & Sweet Shoppe (prizes courtesy of Church of the Woods).
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Teens - 1st place/Micah Murray from Lake Arrowhead $25 gift card to Starbucks; 2nd place/Lincoln Davis $15 gift card to Starbucks (prizes courtesy of Church of the Woods)
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Adults - 1st place/Rosie Bradford from Green Valley Lake $75 Staters gift card; 2nd place/Roy Lackey from Van Nuys $50 Staters gift card; 3rd place/Elaine Calderon from Running Springs $25 Staters gift card (prizes courtesy of First Foundation Bank)
Visitors - adults AND children - will have an opportunity to design craft items AT the Festival. Thanks to our sponsor, Church of the Woods, all craft items and pine cones are provided at no charge. Festival volunteers will assist the children in their efforts. The craft designs may be taken home and/or entered in our Craft Contest.
All on-site entries must be turned in by 2pm the day of the Festival. Entries from home must be received by NOON.
Entries made at home may be submitted by 7th grade-12th grade and Adults ONLY. These At-Home Entries must be delivered to the Festival by Noon the day of the event. MAX ONE ENTRY PER PERSON! Entries must be collected by 3:30pm or will be disposed of by the Festival.
This contest is sponsored by:
Pine Cone
Olympics
​Every year the Pine Cone Olympics is a BIG HIT! We have had children as young as 2 and adults as old as 87 enter in the Olympics!
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OLYMPICS COMPETITION OPEN from 10am to 2:30pm!
Get there early so you have time to improve your score!
Between 2:30pm and 3:30pm, you can still enjoy the Olympics,
but for fun, not part of the contest.
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Three Olympic events:
• Pine Cone Archery
• Pine Cone Hoop Toss
• Pine Cone Shot Put
There are four age categories each
for males and females:
2023 Prizes
Prizes for each age/gender Category are:
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*First Place Prize - Two (2) lift tickets good at Snow
Valley, Snow Summit, and/or Bear Mountain (value $338)
Winners: Skyler Perrill, Indy Lilley, Emily Salazar, Deegan Newman, Makayla Marchiani, Thomas Carter Schmitt, Lori Breipohl, Tom Lackey
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*Second Place Prize - Two (2) 8hr lift tickets to Mountain
High(Wrightwood) (value $278) for 11 and up; for 10 & under \
3rd place prize is one (1) lift ticket good at Snow Valley, Snow
Summit, and/or Bear Mountain (value $169)
Winners: Brianna, Brodie Newman, Kimberly Byler, Liam, Natalie Hart, Saul Salazar, Diane Hutson, Joel Briepohl
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*Third Place Prize - One (1) lift ticket good at at Snow
Valley, Snow Summit, and/or Bear Mountain (value $169) for
11 and up' for 10 & under 3rd place prize is Family (of 4) pass
with parking to Snowdrift Snow Tubing park (value $110)
Winners: Adiel Armenta, Nash Nolfo, Hailey Knight, Andy Clemmer, Jordan Dever, Gibson Postiff, Kellie MacSwan, Larry Hultgren
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OVERALL WINNERS (male/female):
1. Season Pass to Snow Valley, Bear Mountain or Snow Summit won by Thomas Carter Schmit1
2. Season Pass to SkyPark @ Santa's Village won by Makayla Marchian
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Age groups are 10 and Under, 11 to 15, 16 to 54 and 55 & Up.
1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, Male & Female in each age
group. You do not have to be present to win but be sure
your phone number is legible so we can contact you and
mail your prize!
Compete the first time FREE. Additional chances
to improve your score are $2 for all others each round.
All proceeds go to the Marching Band from
Rim of the World High School, who will be managing
the activities.
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Sponsored by :
A special activity at the Pine Cone Olympics is the First Responder Pine Cone Brigade! Our local partners (CHP, CAL FIRE, USFS, SBC Sheriff's COPs & Explorers, SBC Fire and RS Fire) compete in the Pine Cone Olympics to take home the Pine Cone Brigade Trophy for their crews.
San Bernardino County Fire took home the Pine Cone Brigade Trophy in 2023!
