Crowning achievement: Greene County Fair Queen Contest to celebrate 35 years of rural royalty
Krysten DeBolt, 2021 Greene County Fair Queen contestant
Madyson McDonald, 2021 Greene County Fair Queen contestant
Talia Tuttle, 2021 Greene County Fair Queen contestant
Sarah Calvert, 2019 and 2020 Greene County Fair Queen
Addison Neff, Elizabethtown Fair Queen and 2021 Pennsylvania State Fair Queen
Abigail Knapp, Somerset Fair Queen and Pennsylvania State Fair Queen First Alternate
When the 2021 Greene County Fair Queen Contest begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, residents in attendance will be surrounded by serious royalty.
The contest – which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year – will be graced with the presence of Greene County Fair Queens from the past three decades who have earned the honor of wearing the crown.
“After many weeks of searching, the last queen was located two weeks ago,” said Melody Longstreth, who was appointed earlier this year by the county commissioners to serve as the new fair queen program coordinator.
“Each one has expressed an interest in participating … distance and prior engagements will keep some away, but a large number of them will be in attendance. This is the first time that the previous queens will be brought together to celebrate.”
Amy Anderson Earnest, the 1992 Greene County Fair Queen and 1993 Pennsylvania State Fair Queen, will serve as the event’s hostess. She will be joined by this year’s contestants, the current and longest reigning Greene County Fair Queen, Sarah Calvert.
Calvert, the 20-year-old daughter of Richard and Judy Calvert, was crowned fair queen in August 2019. She served a two-year term after fair organizers were forced to cancel much of the 2020 festivities because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Calvert served as president and vice-president of Waynesburg FFA Chapter, and received the Pennsylvania FFA State Keystone degree. She also won FFA Junior Prepared in her sophomore year and competed in public speaking at the state level all three years, winning the Greene County Conservation Speaker of the Year award for three consecutive years.
“I have had the honor of watching Sarah grow up from a younger sister to one of my rabbit club members, to coaching her during her quest to win the county title and attending many local events with her, to traveling to Hershey to compete in the state competition, to getting a professional job and working toward her real estate license,” Longstreth said.
“I am always impressed with her interest to learn and grow, her work ethic, but above all else, her desire to help everyone that she meets.”
Also expected to be in attendance are Addison Neff, Elizabethtown Fair Queen and the 2021 Pennsylvania State Fair Queen; and Abigail Knapp, who is the reigning Somerset Fair Queen and Pennsylvania State Fair Queen First Alternate.
A large number of surrounding county fair queens and princesses are also expected to be in attendance as well as other local title holders, including Miss Rain Day and Little Miss Firecracker.
The contestants competing for the title of 2021 Greene County Fair Queen are:
Krysten DeBolt, the 18-year-old daughter of Richard and Amanda DeBolt of New Freeport. She is a 2021 graduate of West Greene High School, where she was ranked ninth in her graduating class. She was an honor roll student, a member and secretary of the national honor society, secretary of the class of 2021, and an active member of the FFA and science Club. She was a scholar athlete, four-year letterman and captain of the cheerleading squad her senior year. She will be attending Waynesburg University this fall to major in nursing. She plans to become an oncology nurse.
Madyson McDonald, the 19-year-old daughter of Gary and Tracy McDonald Jr. of Waynesburg. She is a student at Waynesburg Central High School. She has been a 4-H member for the past nine years. She held the title of Washington County Horse and Mule Queen for two years.
Talia Tuttle, the 17-year-old daughter of Mary and Ron Tuttle, and granddaughter of Dave and Marilyn Shipman. She is a senior at Waynesburg Central High School and is a four-year letterman on the varsity cheerleading squad and is the varsity captain this year. Tuttle has lettered two years on the varsity track team and is also a two-year letterman on the varsity rifle team. She is involved in National Honor Society and student council. Her plan after high school is to major in animal science and become a veterinarian.
Longstreth said she is excited to be involved in this year’s Greene County Fair Queen contest, which will embrace new changes while celebrating its storied past.
“The queen contest has many new components this year, including its organizational team,” she said. “The response from the community, businesses, previous queens and their families has been overwhelmingly positive. This year’s event promises to be one of the largest to date, thanks to the support and encouragement of the community.”