Find opportunities to win sweepstakes in Delaware, USA, below. But first, here is some trivia about the state:

• Nicknames: Thomas Jefferson is said to have described Delaware as a jewel among states making its nickname the diamond state. It's also called the small wonder state due to its size.


• It was the first of the original 13 states to ratify the U.S. Constitution which is why Delaware's official nickname is "The First State."

Now, onto the contests:

Arts and Crafts:Enter your arts and crafts in local contests or find giveaways at local fairs. Look for craft shows near you at the Art & Craft Show Yellow Pages (http://www.artscraftsshowbusiness.com/shows.aspx?state=DE) and FarisandFestivals.net (http://www.fairsandfestivals.net/states/DE/). The Bradnywine Festival of the Arts in Wilmington has been held since 1961 and is still going strong with over 20,000 visitors annually. Learn more at www.brandywinearts.com.

Beauty Pageants: Do you dream of being crowned a beauty queen or king? You can find pageants in Delaware at:

• Miss Coed Delaware - http://www.gocoed.com/delaware/


• Miss Delaware and Miss Delaware Teen (precursor to Miss USA) - http://www.missdelawareusa.com/delaware.html


• Miss Delaware (precursor to the Miss America pageant) - http://www.missde.org/


• The Delaware page at Pageant Center - http://pageantcenter.com/pageant_calendar/delaware_pageants.html#.VCpLGfldXW4

Food Festivals: Whether your thing is eating contests, entering your own creations for prizes or you just want to score food freebies, you can do that at your local food festivals. Find some in Delaware at foodreference.com and thesavvyexplorer.com. The MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival celebreates the culinary offerings of the Brandywine Valley region. Learn more at mawff.org.

Media: WBOC 16 news and WWMT 47 for Delaware and Maryland has a contest page updated frequently with current local listings at http://www.wboc.com/category/82368/contestsevents and http://www.wmdt.com/category/201741/contests. Delaware Today Magazine also lists contests on their Promotions sections here - http://www.delawaretoday.com/Delaware-Today/Partners-Promotions/.

Travel: Vacationfun.com lists sweepstakes to travel destinations across the United States. Check back periodically for Delaware. The state's tourism site, www.visitdelaware.com, is also a place to find trip giveaways to America's first state.

Have fun and good luck!

Recommended reading for those interested in Delaware travel and history:
A Visitor's Guide to the Colonial & Revolutionary South: Includes Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi
Voices from Colonial America: Delaware 1638-1776 (National Geographic Voices from ColonialAmerica)