95th Annual County Fair a Big Success

Opening night set the tone that the 2022 Fayette County Fair was going to be quite a success.

Thursday night was free for the first time in recent memory, resulting in a larger than normal first night crowd for the 95th annual fair. Also that night the advance ticket sales were announced during the Fair Queen’s contest.

This year season ticket sales were $105,390. Total sales from all carnival tickets and season tickets for 2022 Jr. Miss and Queen Contestants was $166,880.60 marking the most sales of a court and the Queen since 2015 when ZZ Top was the fair headliner. By contrast, last year’s total sales were $135,090. The last two years the shadow of the COVID pandemic loomed large over fair proceedings, but this year people seemed ready to celebrate again. Teagan Branch ran away with the Fair Queen title, selling a remarkable $41,685.60, ahead of first runner-up Dulce Merlos, who sold $23,170. A wide range of musical entertainment, and a continued focus on agricultural events and activities, kept people coming throughout the weekend. Rain Saturday night stopped the carnival for a while, but the overcast conditions resulted in cooler weather that seemed to bulk up attendance Sunday.

In addition to the increase in tickets sales this year, budget cuts by the Fair (no renting of a portable stage and no luxury shuttle busses) may help make this quite a financially successful year for the fair association.

Here’s the full look at the winners from the pageant Thursday: PHOTOGENIC WINNERS 2022 Little Miss Photogenetic Winner: Rylee Hentschel 2022 Little Mister Photogenetic Winner: Stockton Emshoff 2022 Junior Miss Photogenetic Winner: Brinley Freedman 2022 Queen Photogenetic Winner: Addisan Wagner PERSONALITY WINNERS 2022 Best Personality Little Miss Winner: Kynsley Schneider 2022 Best Personality Winner: Quinn Vasek 2022 Best Friend Jr Miss Winner: Nicole Vahalik 2022 Miss Congeniality Winner: Dulce Morales LITTLES RESULTS 4th runner up Little Mister Fayette Co: Quinn Vasek 3rd runner up Little Miss Fayette Co: Rylee Hentschel

3rd runner up Little Mister Fayette Co: Griffin Anderson 2nd runner up Little Miss Fayette Co: Gabrilla Rios 2nd runner up Little Mister Fayette Co: Landon Kasierski 1st runner up Little Miss Fayette Co: Hunter Denham 1st runner up Little Mister Fayette Co: Caston Beseda 2022 Little Miss Fayette Co: Kynsley Schneider 2022 Little Mister Fayette Co: Stockton Emshoff Junior Results Overall Total Carnival Ticket Sales from both the Jr Miss and Queen Contestants this year were $61,490. Carnival Ticket Sales sold this year by the four Jr Miss Contestants in their first year selling totaled $42,420.

3rd runner up Junior Miss Fayette Co: Delilah Mangis 2nd runner up Junior Miss Fayette Co: Nicole Vahalik 1st runner up Junior Miss Fayette Co: Brinley Freedman 2022 Junior Miss Fayette Co: Hailey Janish QUEENAWARDS Miss Beauty & Poise winner: Addisan wWgner Top carnival ticket sales receiving a $500 scholarship from Heart of America Shows with sales of $10,180 in carnival passes, representing the Francisco “Paco” Orona scholarship, Izela Cerda. 3rd runner with sales of $13,620 representing the jose “Paco” Orona scholarship, Izela Cerda 2022 2nd runner up with sales of $13,895.00, Representing Flatonia Lions Club, Addisan Wagner 2022 1st runner up with sales of $23,170.00, Representing Optimist Club of La Grange, Dulce Merlos. 2022 Fayette Co. Fair Queen with sales of $41,685.60, Representing Fayette Co. Sheriff’s Posse, Teagan Branch.