By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Taylor Lutz has been steadily gathering the accolades during her tenure as a Crawford County Junior Fair 4-H member. On Sunday night, she won one of the biggest awards the Junior Fair has to offer – and the one that just escaped her grasp last year.
Lutz was named Second Queen Attendant last year, won Showman of Showmen back-to-back in 2014 and 2015, and was named Junior Fair Princess in 2013. Now she is adding Crawford County Junior Fair Queen to her stellar résumé.
“It feels amazing, honestly,” Lutz said. “I’m kind of speechless. My aunt was a past fair queen and so was my sister so it’s kind of like passing it down through the genes. I’m so honored and very humbled.”
Lutz, dressed in a pale blue dress, said her time at the fair was her most valuable possession during the fishbowl portion of the pageant with her animals taking a close second.
“I want to go to many fairs,” Lutz said about her plans during her reign. “I didn’t get to go to as many this past year because of being in high school still, but hopefully this year I get to travel to more fairs. I hope just to represent my fair in a very good manner in a positive way.”
Lutz graduated from Colonel Crawford High School this year and will be attending the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in the fall.
This year’s queen’s court featured two other familiar faces. Aryn Copeland won First Queen Attendant while Bonnie Welsh was named Second Queen Attendant. Zoltan Feldman, who charmed the audience with his favorite fair moment of dancing in the Junior Fair Board office during last year’s RaeLynn concert, was named Junior Fair King and Nathaniel Bishop received attendant honors. The court was rounded out with Princess Sydney Harris, Attendant Victoria Thimmes, Prince Levi Hartschuh, and Attendant Alec Sipes.
Outgoing Queen CeCelia VonStein was quite emotional as she addressed the fair attendants for the last time. VonStein, who ran for queen six times and even lost the underskirt of her dress as she walked across the stage one year, attended 90 fairs during her reign.
“It’s not just a crown and sash. It’s much more,” VonStein said. “I had my chance. I made the best of it.
“Not many people get the chance and you’ve got to take it when you get it,” she added with tears in her eyes. “It’s kind of hard to give it up when you love something, but you’ve got to do it to give someone else the experience.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Crawford County Fair 07-17-16