ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 31, 2026)—The Maryland Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Lottery and Maryland State Fair, is taking on the Chesapeake Bay’s wild-caught blue catfish problem by offering a cash prize to the chef that can turn it into the tastiest dish! While highly invasive, the fish is high in nutritious value and offers a tasty, white, flaky meat that is versatile in cooking.
Fair attendees are welcome to help determine the winner by tasting all four dishes at the Maryland State Fair on Saturday, September 5 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET. Participants will receive free recipe cards for each dish and a coupon to shop for wild-caught blue catfish at Redner’s Market locations throughout Maryland. The first-place winner will receive $1,000, a Maryland’s Best chef coat, trophy and blue catfish hat! Thank you to Reliant Fish Company for donating the wild-caught blue catfish for the competition!
——————————————————————————————————————————-
WHO:
WHEN:
- Saturday, September 5, 2026 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET
WHERE:
- Maryland State Fair – Free Stage Area by the Mosner Miller Building
- 2200 York Road
- Timonium, MD 21093
RSVP:
- Interested media should RSVP to Director of Marketing Initiatives, Kristin Hanna at [email protected] or (410) 991-3968.
###
