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On Thursday, July 7th the queens met for an afternoon of Empac and Orange Leaf! Unfortunately, I was unable to personally attend this event, however I was still able to get the inside scoop thanks to a few of the candidates who were willing to share their experiences with me. :) A fun twist, the queens were joined by the 2021 fair queen court for this adventure. The afternoon began at the Empac group location in Washington, where the girls were given a tour of the facility by Empac's plant manager, John Walsh. For those unfamiliar with Empac, the organization has been providing custom manufacturing, assembly and packaging solutions to partners in the St. Louis and Franklin County Region since 1967. They currently employ hundreds of those impacted with disabilities, providing a range of employment opportunities within the surrounding communities. "We are a company that can compete with any other packaging company in the country," Walsh remarked. "The CEOs in charge of companies that purchase from us usually don't even know that we are a handicapped facility." The girls absolutely loved the tour, which allowed them to see how different goods are made and packaged. "We teach them all kinds of common skills," Walsh said, "like how to use nail guns and how to read tape measures and blueprints. But the biggest thing is just how to work well with others." One of the queens who shared her experience with me mentioned that her favorite part of the afternoon was personally talking with the staff. "It was really intriguing to hear their stories and ask them about their jobs," she told me. Christa Mohesky, Director of Operations, also met the girls on their tour and gave them more details about Empac. As well as providing work for their employees, she explained that they also give a sense of community. "Our folks love to come to work, it's a huge part of their social life," she said. "They have friends here and some even have boyfriends and girlfriends here!" The queens giggled and then proceeded to ask both Christa and John any remaining questions they had about their work. As their Empac experience ended, the girls posed for a picture outside with their tour guides to capture the moment. If you look closely at the picture, you can see that the queens received their sashes - which we are SO excited about! Following Empac, it just so happened to be “sweet treat o’clock” … so the queen clan went to Orange Leaf to debrief over froyo! As the girls visited and discussed their day together, they also started to look forward to their next event. Spoiler alert! It’s an eventful day in Washington that you won’t want to miss. :) Until next time,
Emma
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Janet Rudd, owner and artist of Creative Touch Paint and Design, helped the queens tap into their inner artist by hosting a painting night at her studio on Wednesday, June 29th. As the girls filed in and seated themselves, Janet welcomed them and introduced herself and her space. The girls and I then got a complete tour of the beautiful studio, which eventually led us into the main painting space where a large, mysterious structure was revealed. At that point Janet explained to the girls that instead of making their own paintings this year, they would instead be working together to create a fun, fair-themed, photo opportunity on the giant, canvas-like structure. The girls’ faces lit up and the room immediately filled with excited chatter! No time was wasted as the brainstorming process began immediately, followed by sketching and doodling. Now I won't give too much away, but basically each girl chose her own section of the mural and decorated it as she wished, using full creative freedom! Aware that not everyone possesses Picasso-like paintbrush skills, Janet assured all the queens that, “If you’re hardworking, have good character, and collaborate, you can do anything!” This proved to be true as the girls worked seamlessly together and their mural started to come together. After around two hours of busy pencils, paintbrushes flying everywhere, and paint filling the canvas, their project was nearly done. They worked long and hard, making sure that their creation was picture perfect, and were pleased with the results! Alongside her artistic expertise, Janet also left each of the girls with their very own studio paintbrush, a great keepsake to remember the evening. Their final masterpiece will be displayed in the fair parade on Sunday, July 31st. But if you can’t make it out to the parade, don’t sweat it. The photo op created by Janet and the queens will be on display ALL week long at the fairgrounds!
Until next time, Emma Day number one of Professional Development was all things fun and formal! Our group was so fortunate to have four of the area's best as guest speakers, each sharing their areas of expertise. This was a fantastic opportunity for the queens (and me!) to gain some insight into many different fields of professionalism, applicable even far beyond the queen contest. To begin the morning, the girls divided themselves into groups in preparation to visit each speaker. This was when I decided to jump in with a group to serve as a “fly on the wall,” learning about what each speaker had to say to the girls. And, believe me, these sessions did not disappoint!
Professional Presence with Gretchen Pettet “The way you present yourself should reflect how you intend to present yourself,” Gretchen told the girls, as they joined her for a presentation on professional presence. From hygiene, hair, and makeup to clothing fit, condition, and style… her advice was nothing but the best when it comes to representing yourself in a professional setting. Gretchen also stressed the importance of first impressions, body language, and attitude. Her best piece of advice, “You may have everything else right, but if your attitude is off it’s over. Your attitude is what determines your direction.” She then concluded her session by urging the girls to, no matter what, be real! Interview Skills with Julie Hazel Let's be honest... Nobody enjoys the frantic feeling that comes with being asked, "So, tell me a little bit about yourself?" You know, whenever you suddenly forget who you are, everything you’ve done, and any major accomplishments worth noting? Well, fortunately for our next session, we visited with Julie Hazel, who taught us how to answer these kinds of questions throughout the interviewing process and nail an elevator pitch! Julie took the girls through some interview preparation skills and the interview process itself, ultimately emphasizing that the secret to success is to simply practice! “The more times you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, the more comfortable you will get,” she ensured the queens. As a final touch, Julie shared her simple yet effective recipe for success when it comes to elevator pitches, aka answering the infamous "tell me about yourself" question. Building a Professional Resume with Dr. Rachael Franssen When it comes to drafting the perfect resume, it’s important to sell yourself for who you are and what you can do. And, in this special case, why each girl feels they are the perfect fit for the 2022 Wash Mo Fair Queen! Dr. Franssen, SDOW Assistant Superintendent, led our third workshop of the day, which was packed with resume tips and tactics that will be useful throughout the queens’ lives! She covered what all to include in a professional resume, such as contact information, education, professional experience, and so on. She also touched on soft vs. hard skills, resume length, and answered any of the girls’ burning questions. In closing, she reminded the girls to “always make sure that what you are putting forward is professional.” A great closing reminder, especially applicable to resume building, this session will most definitely be of use to the girls as they craft their resumes for the contest and in all other endeavors. Art of a “Thank You” Note with Tina Eckelkamp A simple "thank you" in the form of a handwritten note gives a sense of appreciation, enhances relationships, and can open innumerable doors. In our final session, Tina Eckelkamp taught us all about this, emphasizing the dos and don'ts of thank you notes. From events to interviews to weddings, a handwritten proper thank you card is always necessary! She also discussed the art of personalizing thank you notes, by including specific details while expressing gratitude. Tina's session ended with each queen receiving a tiny stationery set as a parting gift as well as a handout summarizing what was covered throughout the session. A kind gesture, I even received one myself, which will come in handy and be put to great use! :) After each girl got the opportunity to listen in on all four amazing sessions there were sandwiches and treats to enjoy from Joe’s Bakery, a great, refreshing way to conclude the fun yet professional day. A huge thank you to all those who worked on this event and for our amazing speakers who shared their expertise! Stay tuned for the next queen adventure, where the girls will be channeling their inner Picasso by working together to create a masterpiece! Until next time, Emma When it comes to protecting yourself, it’s better to have the power and not need it than to need it and not have it! Our Wash Mo Fair queens learned all about this and SO much more during last week’s queen adventure, a self-defense class led by black belt Laura Schaefer of ATA Martial Arts. :) On Wednesday evening, the queens hit the ATA dojo eager and ready to learn some new self-defense skills! To kick off the session, the girls gathered around and listened intently as Laura introduced herself, covered some important ground rules, and laid out the key components of mastering successful self-defense. “In the matter of defending yourself, it’s all about attitude,” Laura told the girls. “Knowing how to assert yourself is a major aspect in watching out for your own safety.” This bit of advice was then worked into the first drill of the evening, an attitude and voice drill where each girl was to shout at their partner, “DON’T touch me!” It was priceless to see the girls' looks and laughs when they were instructed to do so! However, it's safe to say that once the ice was broken and shouting filled the air, they were incredibly intimidating. :) Alongside attitude, Laura also highlighted that using your comfort force is of significant importance as they prepared for the more “physical” drills. Which basically means that you should apply force based on the situation and whether the force against you is threatening in a deadly or non-deadly way. Knowing this, the girls performed a series of elbow jabs and knee strikes to put their abilities to the test. Using punching bags and shields rather than a partner of course! As the hour-long session drew to a close after several drills, demonstrations, and scenarios... instructor Laura left the girls with a few final words of wisdom. In her words, "Simply being aware can save your life." This great piece of advice then sparked conversations about looking confident, using the buddy system, walking in well-lit areas, and which handy self-defense tools you should carry! I had such a blast getting to watch the queens try something new, while also taking in a few tips and tricks myself! Several pictures and action shots taken by Jeanne Miller Wood highlight the girls’ performances and all the fun below. Visit her website jmillerwood.com to view the full self-defense gallery. You can also check out Laura Schaefer with ATA Martial Arts at atawashmo.com/ ! Until next time! – Where we get a little more professional …
Emma I had the BEST time joining our fair queens Tuesday evening as they threw on some workout clothes, grabbed their yoga mats, and headed down to the Missouri River front for a relaxing evening of yoga together. These queens learned from instructor Elaine Blackmur of Mindful Movement that yoga isn’t simply about saying “Om” and touching your toes, but rather bringing consciousness to each movement in every moment! In getting to know to the girls, I’ve learned that they all tend to remain quite busy over the summer by working jobs and keeping up with other activities. Amidst this everyday hustle and bustle, things can get exhausting, and it can be difficult to simply slow down. However, Elaine invited the girls to do exactly that, through a forty-five-minute Vinyasa Flow Yoga session! This style of yoga is characterized by stringing together a variety of postures so that movement from one to another is seamless. Using breath to movement connection practice, the intention is to slow down and simply be present by moving towards what is “sacred” or most important to us. The girls rolled out their mats and formed a semi-circle around Elaine to kick-off the evening. After doing some quick introductions, the session began. Only a few girls raised their hands when asked if they had ever practiced yoga before, so to make sure no one felt intimidated, Elaine stressed that although it’s great to celebrate your abilities, it’s even more important to honor your limits. Nevertheless, regardless of whether the girl's yoga skills were those of a graceful swan or of a baby giraffe trying to use its legs for the first time, the good energy was beyond contagious! ;) As the girls inhaled, exhaled, and moved their way through the session, you could see them all start to relax and get into it. This was when I regretted not bringing my mat to join in on the fun! The sounds of the river flowing and the birds chirping as the sun set made for a perfect, peaceful yoga experience. Well, despite the train that roared past and some loud cars occasionally thumping by! As the queens left, stretched and unstressed, it seemed to me that riverfront yoga was a GREAT success. “Overall, I found yoga to be super fun and relaxing!” said one of the queens. “It was good to just kind of slow down for a bit and bond with the other girls in such a unique way.” If you’re looking for a way to relax and yoga is something that you have yet to experience, take it from the queens, YOGAtta try it! :) Until next time! Emma Entries will be accepted beginning Monday, June 6 at 9 a.m. for contests at the 2022 Washington Town & Country Fair. Registration is accepted online only. Those unable to register online at home can use a registration computer at the Chamber of Commerce Office (323 W Main Street). Some contests accept only a limited number of entries. Deadline for pre-registration is Friday, July 15. On-site registration at the fair is available for contests that do not require pre-registration. More info is available on the Contests page. Pre-registration is REQUIRED for the following events:
• Donut on a String Eating Contest (Wednesday, 1:00 p.m.)* • Funnel Cake Eating Contest (Friday, 11:00 a.m.)* • Kids' Super Farmer Contest (Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.)* • Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt Eating Contest (Saturday, 2:00 p.m.)* • Oreo Stacking Contest (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.)* • Pie Eating Contest (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)* • Pig Chase Contest (Thursday, 7:00 p.m.)* • Queen for a Day (Friday, 11:00 a.m.)* • Pedal Tractor Pull (Saturday, 9:00 a.m.) • Saucy's Hot Wing Eating Contest (Saturday, 4:00 p.m.) * • Cornhole Tournament (Saturday, 11:00 a.m.)* Pre-registration for these contests is not required, but is encouraged! • Adult Super Farmer Contest (Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.)* • Bubble Gum Blowing Contest (Wednesday, 11:00 a.m.) • Edible Bug Making Contest (Friday, 1:00 p.m.) • Egg Drop Contest (Sunday, 12:00 p.m.) • Fitness Challenge (Thursday, 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.) • Hula Hoop Contest (Thursday, 1:00 p.m.) • Pig Chase – Age 18+ (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.) • Turtle Race Contest (Saturday, 12:00 p.m.) *Limited Entries Accepted Hello all and happy summer! – This is Emma Duncan, a student at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, and the latest new face in the Fair Office. :) This summer, you will be hearing lots from me as I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity of tagging alongside our queen contestants on their adventures leading up to the fair. The excitement is unreal! I had the chance to meet the amazing ladies who have signed up for this year's Queen Contest yesterday at Orientation, and let me tell you, they are all INCREDIBLE! Seriously, there was enough personality to fill the fairgrounds. :) This year, twenty-one of our area's brightest young ladies have signed up for a whole summer full of fun and learning through working hard selling fair tickets, participating in events, and learning more about the Washington community. All of this is then capped off with the Queen Coronation on August 3rd. However, the excitement does not end there! After being crowned, the Queen & her Court will spend nearly all waking moments of the next four days getting an up-close-and-personal look at all things fun at the fair. Since most people only get to see the royalty throughout the fair, many are unaware of everything the Fair Queen program consists of during the months leading up to the big week. But that’s not to sweat, because this year I’ve got you completely covered! You can experience it all here with me, on the fair blog. Stay tuned for a great summer of fair queen fun... but first, here's a quick look at last night’s Orientation! The evening began with the girls listening eagerly as the Queen Committee and some of the Fair staff introduced themselves. They learned about all the exciting events in store for the summer, followed by a presentation on season ticket sales. Spicing up sales this year with some friendly competition and incentives, each girl was given a unique discount code to share. Long story short - Our queens would LOVE to sell you a season pass! :) After that, there was a group photo taken by Julia Hansen from The Missourian. She captured a few group shots and then the girls moved inside to participate in a quick ice breaker, where they introduced themselves and answered either a) What is your favorite fair food? or b) What has been your favorite fair concert? Spoiler Alert - there are lots of Borgia stand milkshake lovers in the group, and although they love their country music, several are looking forward to this year’s Flo Rida concert! This pretty much concluded our night together, which had flown by thanks to the enthusiasm, laughter, and new friendships being formed. The girls, though, opted to stay a little longer amid the flurry of fresh information and paperwork. They moved the fun outside to Lions Lake, chatting excitedly amongst themselves, which resulted in these fantastic photo ops: Have I mentioned that I totally adore this group? Their high energy and eagerness for these next few months are through the roof, leading me to believe that they will all have the time of their lives! Keep an eye out for this bunch of beauties around town and in the newspaper, as they have a big summer ahead. You can also follow along with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @washmofair - And don't forget to check back here next week to read all about their next event. Hint: “Namaste!”
Until next time! Emma NEW: We are excited to be using the same online system (Fair Entry) that our Extension Office and other local fairs use for registering livestock projects. Registration opened on May 1st. If you haven't yet registered your project, you can visit washmofair.com and click the "Register Exhibits" button at the top left, or use the shortcuts at the bottom of this e-mail to complete your registration. Reminder: Livestock entries must be registered by July 1!
Fair Admission: Ticket purchases will not be made through the same system as the livestock registration. Visit e-tix to purchase season tickets. Our Queen Contestants will be providing promo codes in June for a discount on tickets, so if you don't already have yours, keep an eye out for that! Exhibitors will use the same style ticket as other fairgoers and are encouraged to get a daily re-entry wristband. Parking Passes/Needed Items: You will receive your packet when you bring your animal to the fairgrounds. Exhibitors bringing animals after the first day can pick up packets Tuesday evening, 6-10 p.m. After that, packets will be available at the South Traffic Gate during fair hours. Congratulations to these local senior livestock exhibitors that were selected to receive 2022 Livestock Scholarships! These scholarships are funded 100% by the exhibitors themselves from a 1% deduction in all Blue Ribbon Auction checks. Applications for Livestock Scholarships are due March 31 each year.
Benefits of Online Tickets
DISCOUNTS Ticket discounts are not available at the box office, so you will have to purchase online to take advantage of one of our money-saving offers! The earlier you buy, the better the discount - watch our Facebook Page for special offers. LOST TICKET INSURANCE Tickets purchased online can be canceled and re-issued in the event of loss or theft. No more stressing over that ticket that fell out of your pocket (or your child's) up on the Midway! Better still, no stressing after you print your tickets and then forget where you put them. Just re-open the e-mail and print them again. Lost or deleted the e-mail? See the FAQ below for help. CONVENIENCE That phone that you carry everywhere... did you know it could hold your ticket? Purchase tickets when it is convenient for you from the comfort of your home. Print them as needed, or text the images to family members so they don't get mixed up! Frequently Asked Questions HOW DO I GET MY TICKET? An e-mail confirmation will be automatically sent from our ticketing partner, e-tix. The e-mail will include a link to view/print your tickets. DO I HAVE TO PRINT MY TICKET? Nope! Mobile tickets can be scanned at the gates, right from your phone! If you open the "View My Tickets" link on a mobile device, the mobile version of the ticket comes up. It also gives you the option to save the ticket right on your homescreen! Important: Tickets cannot be printed from a mobile device, as the layout has been optimized for presentation on a phone. If you want printed tickets, please open the link on a desktop or laptop computer and print from there. WHAT IF I LOST MY E-MAIL OR DIDN'T RECEIVE IT? No problem! First, check your junk mail just in case. If you still cannot locate your ticket e-mail, just call the Fair Office (636-239-2715) and the confirmation e-mail can be re-sent to you. I SAW DISCOUNTED TICKETS OFFERED AT AN ONLINE SWAP SHOP... IS IT VALID? While we understand that people will share tickets, we do not recommend purchasing tickets from places other than our authorized ticket outlets (washmofair.com, e-tix.com, Chamber/Fair Office). If an unauthorized seller sold a ticket to multiple people, the ticket may be listed as "redeemed" when you arrive at the fair. Since tickets will scan only once at the gate, people who arrive at the gate with a ticket that has already been redeemed will have to purchase a valid ticket from the gatehouse before entering the fair. |
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