Let the 2022 Fair Queen Fun Begin!

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