By Lindsey Rowland
lrowland@wbcowqel.com

A summer of hard work and preparation culminates this evening for seven young women who are vying for the titles of the 2013-2014 Bratwurst Queen and attendants. Tulsa Fearing, Stormy Furney, Mackenzie May, Jennifer Sabo, Breanna Shulaw, Courtney Walsh, and Kaiden Wilson will take the stage in hopes of getting the opportunity to represent Bucyrus at festivals all over Ohio in the coming year.

The applicants are women from Crawford County who have been working throughout the summer on different elements of the competition, which includes marks in poise, interviewing skills, conversation, answering fishbowl questions, and traditional German dress. Each girl has been coached in a series of eight rehearsals, with the final practice taking place on the stage Wednesday night.

Before the pageant on Thursday, the contestants will be interviewed by the judges and will ride in the parade, where they will also be getting scored. The combined tally will help to decide who gains the crown.

Sheila Nickum took the helm of the pageant this year, and hopes to bring to the forefront the tradition that everyone has come to expect of the most “eatingest” festival.

“For me, growing up in Bucyrus the Queen’s Pageant has always been just a tradition. I just want to bring it back because I think it has lost some of that,” Nickum said. “The Queen’s Pageant, I think, is an opportunity for the girls to get scholarships; I think it’s an opportunity to build confidence, to get that stage presence. You know things that take them out of their comfort zone.”

Nickum’s daughter, Kylie Eulett, is a former Bratwurst Festival queen. She sees the pageant as an opportunity for the contestants to develop communication and other personal skills such as presenting themselves to others.

“With technology, we aren’t used to conversation,” Nickum says, “and this is different than what they’re used to. They can get up on stage and see what it’s like to converse.”

The pageant will be held at 8 tonight at the Century Link stage across from Family Video.