Closing Day of the Fair - August 5, 2007

It was sad to see the fair go! I watched the tricycle competition and tried some of the interesting fair food--deep fried Snickers and Oreos. Both were tasty, but the Snickers was better! I also enjoyed playing Ski Ball and won some prizes. Everything was a little slow, as it was coming to an end and beginning to shut down. The fair was an amazing experience that I'll never forget.

Time to begin preparing for the Miss Virginia Association of Fairs Pageant coming up in January!

Day 5 of the Fair - August 4, 2007

Today sure was a long day--the fair opened at 10 AM. First I watched the Basketball Hoop Contest, and then began preparing for the main event of the evening: Jason Michael Carroll! Karla and I set up the reserved seating section and had to chase of some crazy fans. The Meet & Greet began, and Karla and I hosted, ushering people in and out. It was so cool to meet JMC! I got my picture taken with him and he autographed my CD. He was really nice and seemed like such a normal guy.

The concert was awesome--especially the front row seats! We definitely had a great view and the music was wonderful! JMC was a big highlight of the fair experience.

Day 4 of the Fair - August 3, 2007

I took part in the Watermelon Seed Spitting contest today and got 2nd place! My distance was 10 feet, 1 inch. The winner's distance was 11 feet, so I wasn't too far behind. I also went to the Buyer's Appreciation dinner and 4-H auction. I attended the Husband Calling contest and passed out awards. That was a funny competition--my mom got 2nd place (and embarrassed herself!). Just another fun-filled day at the fair!

Promoting the Fair - August 3, 2007

I appeared today on NBC29's noon broadcast. Christina Cruz interviewed me live, asking me questions about myself and about the fair. I invited everyone to come out and enjoy the fair. This was my first live interview, so that was a neat experience!

Day 3 of the Fair - August 2, 2007

Today was a busy day at the fair! It all started with the 4-H show, where I learned a lot about livestock. Miss Albemarle, Ryan Tillery, and the other Albemarle princesses were visiting and we had the traditional Fair Queens vs. County Queens tug-of-war competition. We almost had them, but lost it in the end! It was exhausting, but a lot of fun. Miss Virginia Association of Fairs, Sara Wirtala, was also visiting, and it was great to meet her.

Another highlight was competiting in the pie eating competition. I was competing against a bunch of guys from the Marines! I didn't win, but I sure tried. Rick from 3WV didn't show up for our challenge--I think he was too scared I would beat him!

Senior Citizen Day - August 2, 2007

Senior Citizen Day took place from 8:30-11 AM this morning. Seniors came, free of charge, to enjoy a complimentary breakfast from Erica Hall. Erica and I also did a cooking demonstration on how to make a tasty and healthy granola. There were also presentations from UVA Community Credit Union and Morningside assisted living facilities. I drew tickets for door prizes and after the presentation, the guests enjoyed the fairgrounds. Everyone had a blast!

Day 2 of the Fair - August 1, 2007

I judged the pound cake contest today along with the Anniversary Queen (Karla), the CBS19 sports team, Erica Hall of From Scratch Baking Company, and my mom. We sampled 19 different pound cakes and scored them on flavor, texture, moistness, originality, and creativity. We sure were full after we finished! The top three winners are eligible to enter their original recipes at the state fair.

Karla and I also took part in the Cross-Cut saw competition. It was really hard, but we did it! A pair of men went after us and they were extremely fast. I think they had had a lot of practice, though! The second day of the fair was even more fun than the first, and I'm sure the rest of the week will be a blast as well.

Special Needs Day - August 1, 2007

Special Needs Day took place from 8:30 until 11 this morning at the fairgrounds. About 100 people attended, including children and their families or caretakers. The Albemarle Cheerleaders were there to lead in the spirit and fun, and country singer Miranda Townsend opened the event with her wonderful music. The kids had so much fun dancing and listening to the singing! Next, Erica Hall of From Scratch Baking Company provided cookies to decorate. That was a blast, and the cookies were delicious! The kids were then free to check out the tents and livestock, and the merry-go-round and Ferris wheel were open to ride. Everyone had a great time--the event was definitely a success!

Grand Opening of the Fair - July 31, 2007

The fair has finally begun! The first night was awesome. It all started with the grand opening--I was brought in on a horse-drawn carriage and the other princesses followed behind in a Clydesdale-drawn carriage. I cut the ribbon and the festivities began! The rest of the night was filled with fun and laughter as I explored the fairgrounds, checked out the different tents, and rode amusement rides. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week!

Promoting the Fair - July 31, 2007

I had to be at the fairgrounds this morning at 4:45 AM!!! It was still dark and we were meeting to be interviewed live by Audrey of CBS19/ABC16/FOX27. Unfortunately, the technician couldn't get a signal for the live shot, but we filmed a taped interview to appear on the morning news. It was so funny because the goats in the petting zoo jumped in front of the camera while filming. The goat was trying to eat the cameraman's straw hat!

We also headed over to Clear Channel Radio to talk to Pam of Country 99.7. This is my favorite station, so it was really cool to meet Pam and see the place the music comes from! After finishing at the radio, I went to get some rest for the big opening night of the fair.

Promoting the Fair - July 30, 2007

Today we met with the Charlottesville Radio Group to promote the fair. I was interviewed on WINA, 3WV, 106.1 "The Corner", and Z95.1. It was a lot of fun! I challenged listeners to enter the Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head contest and even challenged Rick of 3WV's Big Greasy Breakfast to the pie eating contest!

I also went back to the Charlottesville Newsplex to be interviewed by Beth Duffy. I promoted the fair and with appear in Tuesday's Family First segment on CBS Channel 19 at noon. Everyone at the station was so nice and it was so cool to see how the news is broadcasted. I can't wait until the fair!