SALISBURY — It’s time to vote.

From now until March 25, the public can cast a vote for their favorite Cheerwine Festival T-shirt design with winners being announced in April.

Cheerwine and its hometown of Salisbury, as noted in a release, is announcing the top 10 finalists in this design contest, which is showcasing the talent and creativity of high school students across the Carolinas.

To celebrate the spirit of the Carolinas, Cheerwine invited high school students from North and South Carolina to submit original artwork expressing their love for their home state, the release said.

Five of the 10 finalists are Rowan County students. They and the schools they attend are, Elijah Gulledge, an 11th grader and Nicholas Smith a ninth grader, both from West Rowan High School; Rachel Owens a 12th grader and Hope Hamilton, a 10th grader, both from East Rowan High School; and Isabella Marlow, and 11th grader from Jesse C. Carson High School.

The remaining five high school students are Sophia Cabrera of Concord, Bernice Huerte of Raleigh, Annika Elmquist of Wake Forest, Isabella Dugarte-Carrasco of Greensboro and Carter Coon of McLeansville.

Judges, chosen by the Cheerwine Festival committee, worked to select these top 10 finalists from the entries that were received. That panel included Mayor Karen Alexander of Salisbury; Vivian Koontz, events coordinator for the city of Salisbury; Joy Ritchie Harper, vice president of marketing and fifth generation founding family member at Cheerwine; Andy Corbett, senior creative manager for Cheerwine; and Amanda Nesbitt, the 2023 T-shirt contest design winner.

To see the 10 selected designs and to cast your vote, go to https://cheerwine.com/festival-contest/. Each registered email may cast only one vote.

A grand prize winner, based on the highest number of valid votes, will be awarded a $1,000 gift card, Cheerwine Festival gift basket, “Downtown Dollars” for use during the festival and a commemorative plaque presented by Mayor Alexander and additional prizes. The winning student’s teacher will receive $500 toward new art supplies and a Cheerwine Festival gift basket.

Two runners-up, those with the second and third highest numbers of valid votes, will each be presented with a Cheerwine Festival gift basket, “Downtown Dollars” to be used during the festival and a plaque presented by the mayor.

The names of the winners will be announced in April with a special recognition ceremony held during the festival, which is scheduled for May 18 from noon until 10 p.m.

“We were overwhelmed with the incredible response from students showing their Carolina pride,” said Harper. “We thank the teachers, administrators and talented young artists who contributed their time and creativity to this contest, and we look forward to unveiling the finalists’ designs and seeing which one is chosen to become the official artwork of this year’s Festival.”

The festival will feature fun for the entire family including live entertainment, Cheerwine-inspired cuisine and beverages, arts and crafts, engaging activities for kids and much more.

For more information go to cheerwine.com/festival. Fans can also find details as they are announced by searching the hashtag #CheerwineFest on social media.