Daisy Zinz, Dylan Evans, Jenna Canale, Hunter Roosa, Claire Dillner, Kendrick Campbell
Jeremy Brown / The Portager
By: Abi Lenze
This year, the Randolph Fair ran from August 25th to the 30th. Many people recognize the fair for its food, rides, entertainment, and late nights with your friends as the summer comes to a close. However, the fair has other aspects that are often overlooked.
From early spring to late August, teens and their families work tirelessly to train and care for animals to be shown and sold at the fair. Senior Dylan Evans worked as Junior Fairboard President this season, assisting with setup for anything transported onto the fairgrounds. Evans won first-in-class for his turkey, and Jenna Canale won two third-in-class awards for hers.
This was not Canales’ only win this year. She also participates in the ‘life skills’ part of 4-H. This includes projects like sewing, baking, art, and archery. She showed a blue, halter-neck prom dress and a set of cheetah-print pajamas for the sewing skill, winning awards at both the county and state levels. Among these awards are the “Most Outstanding Sewing Project” in Portage County, two clock trophies at the Ohio State fair, and an invitation to the National 4-H Congress in Georgia this November. “I will have to fly in a plane and stay in a hotel for a week all by myself for this, so I am very excited,” Canale shared when asked about the experience.
Another significant win for the Southeast 4-H community is that four of our students were selected for the fair court. “The interview process starts in July,” Fair Queen Daisy Zinz said during her interview. “We are asked about our personal values before moving on to a speed round of questions about the fair.” Zinz shared that the top three girls and the top three boys are put on the court. Zinz, Canale, and alumni Claire Dillner took all three spots for the girls’ court. Evans and Kendrick Campbell took two of the spots on the boys’ court, with Campbell winning Fair King. When asked about winning the fair queen, Zinz said she wasn’t really sure how she won- but it is clear from her honesty and openness that she deserved that spot.
The fair is more than awards and trophies. “I had no big wins besides fair queen, but I participate because of my love for 4H,” Zinz said, and she’s not alone in that. When asked about his favorite memory, Evans explained that ushering for and watching the rough truck was more exciting than he expected. Canale spoke of a 4H-sponsored trip to Washington, D.C., where she met other 4H kids and made new friends.
Each student interviewed had one thing in common: a love for the fair, regardless of whether they won or not. Despite all the amazing achievements, each of them shared a memory with friends and helped their community, which truly shows where their hearts are. What an amazing season! Congratulations to all our winners!
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