MIDDLESBORO — April is Redbud Month in Kentucky and Tour Southern and Eastern Kentucky (SEKY) held the annual 2010 Redbud Tea and the Redbud Trails Photo Contest on Friday at the American Association Building in downtown Middlesboro.

The photo contest featured artwork from across Tour SEKY’s 47-county service region and highlighted some of the most talented photographers from the region. Contest guidelines required photos to be full color and contain an entire Redbud Tree, blossom or branch.

Guests to the event took part in a voting contest, where they were given tickets and put them next to their favorite pictures.

The first 150 guests were given cookbooks.

Visitors were also treated to music from a youth string ensemble from J. Frank White Academy.

Public Relations Director for Tour SEKY, Maggie Bill, said that the 12 winners from the contest will be featured in the upcoming 2011 Redbud Calendar. She said the pictures will be ranked corresponding to the month, starting with January.

Bill said this was the second year the event has been in Middlesboro, because of the large reception.

There was no entry fee and participants could submit multiple photos. For winners there will be a $75 first place award, $50 second place award and $25 third place award. Winners will be announced on May 11, 2010, during Tour SEKY’s annual tourism week event.

Congressman Hal Roger’s wife was scheduled Friday to make an appearance at the event.

"Redbud Month was created to help jump-start the spring tourism season," said Jeff Cowe, Tour SEKY President/CEO in a press release.

"We experienced an extremely cold winter, but we are excited to see the colorful blooms starting to pop up along our regions byways.”

Bill said the photos would still be up in the American Association building for the next two weeks for people to come by and enjoy.

Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.