“It is surreal. It’s actually amazing. Very overwhelming, but it’s very exciting,” Gillaugh said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Gillaugh is a sophomore at Wilmington University, where she is on the equestrian team and dual-majoring in Animal Science and Equine Business Management, and she is in 4-H’s 2 Hot 2 Trot club.
The other three candidates included: first runner-up Megan Thatcher, a sophomore at Montana State University who received a $300 scholarship; second runner-up Brooke Comer, a freshman at Clark State College who received a $200 scholarship; and Katherine Sprowl, a sophomore at Wright State University who received the Community Service Award and $200 scholarship.
Marcia Nichols, coordinator of the fair queen contest, said Gillaugh will soon attend many events and go on to compete in January for next year’s Ohio Fairs Queen.
“We have a history of very strong queens that go out and represent our community across the state of Ohio,” she said. “They’re a role model, they’re a community coordinator, they go out and tell our story and encourage involvement in the local fair.”
Gillaugh said one of her goals as fair queen is to increase the number of children of color who participate in 4-H and FFA.
“It’s very important to me because I’ve been a part of this fair for the past 11 years, and when you go into the show rings, there’s not a lot of people that you can look around and (say,) ‘Oh, they look like me’,” she said.
“There’s always those little girls that don’t really get to see people that look like them, and as somebody who grew up that way, I just thought it would be amazing to just be that person for another little girl ... (and) not just for kids that look like me, (also) for others to just kind of educate and create a more diverse experience for everyone,” Gillaugh added.
Other events and attractions on the first day of the fair included midway rides, fair food, the Xpogo extreme pogo shows and sea lions shows.
The schedule for the rest of opening weekend includes livestock events. Saturday will include a performance by Willow Creek, wood carver Jim Boedicker, sea lion shows, Xpogo shows, a tractor pull and singer Kate Hasting in The Big Tent in the evening.
Sunday’s events include church services and gospel performances throughout the day, the open class rabbit show, Eli the Magician, and the demolition derby.
The fair will continue through Friday, July 28. It opens at 8 a.m. each day, with rides and food vendors opening at noon, and the fair closes at 10 p.m. Tickets will stop being sold at 9 p.m.
General admission tickets are $6 daily, and children five and younger are admitted free. Passes start at $30, including parking and admission for all eight days, but 4-H wrist bands count as a pass. Midway rides are $1.50 each for individual tickets and $18 for all-day wrist bands.
The gates off Laybourne Road and South Charleston Pike will be only for those with passes. Those paying general admission must use Gate A, and ticket purchasing will be made at a walk-in gate after parking.
Those with passes can park in lots inside the fairgrounds to the hog barns and Champions Center and behind the Mercantile Building. Overflow parking is alongside the lake with general admission having only one exit, leading to Laybourne Road. Handicapped parking is on the front side by AG Lot 1, by the horse barns, and at least 25 more handicapped spots will be right next to the walk-in gate in general admission parking.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
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