attracts over two hundred local high schoolers to compete in annual Skills Fest
February 18, 2026
WILLMAR and HUTCHINSON, MN – Two hundred and ten local high school students from twenty-six different schools, including homeschools, tested their hands-on skills and knowledge at the annual Skills Fest event at , Willmar campus, on Friday, February 6.
Challenges, activities, and tests targeted categories such as: Farm Management Problem Solving, Livestock Dairy Management, Meats, Ag Mechanics, Auto Careers (Auto Tech and Auto Body), Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, and Welding (GMAW, GTAW, SMAW and OAW) contests. Individual and team contests were available.
“We were excited to see the event grow with more students competing this year from all over the state. We had students from Pipestone to Fergus Falls come to compete. Ridgewater faculty do a wonderful job setting up unique opportunities for students to participate. We look forward to seeing the students compete each year” stated Amy Birkland, Alex Grabowska and Mercedes Karg, 2026 event organizers.
The event concludes with a ceremony that celebrates and awards the top three individual and team placings in each category with medals. In addition, first-place winners receive $500-semester scholarships from the Foundation to support future educational goals.
First place winners came from eight different schools including Dream Technical Academy, Eden Valley-Watkins, Glencoe-Silver Lake, Fergus Falls, Holdingford, Lakeview, New London-Spicer, and Wright Technical Academy.
Additional schools attending the 2026 event included Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Albany, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, BOLD, Cambridge-Isanti, Dawson-Boyd, Lac Qui Parle Valley, Lakeview, Little Falls, Marshall, Minneota, Montevideo, Pipestone, Redwood Valley, Renville County Wesst, Royalton, Sauk Centre, Watertown-Meyer and Willmar.
To learn more about visit ridgewater.edu.