The Chesterfield County Fair is in full force yet again, with many events scheduled daily to keep fair-goers entertained.
The morning of Aug. 24 featured Princess Pageant participants ranging in age from 3 to 16 with hopes of being crowned into the Chesterfield County Royals. This year’s theme was “Life’s a Beach at The Chesterfield County Fair.”
The winners for each category were: Nicolette Arnold, tiny, ages 3 to 4; Caroline Blades, little, ages 5 to 6; Alana Skinner, juniors, ages 7 to 9; Riley Hacker, preteen, ages 10 to 12; and Andrea Farag, teen, ages 13 to 16.
Similar to the queen, the duties of being a Chesterfield County Fair Princess include being ambassadors at the fair, greeting the public and wearing their gowns and tiaras in an effort to promote the event.
Brenda White, general manager of the fair, spoke about the Princess Pageant. Formally a Miss America judge and Miss Virginia judge, White knows exactly what judges are looking for when it comes to contestants.
“I’m very picky about my judges,” she said. “I don’t tend to use anyone off the street. A lot of times this is the princesses’ first pageant, and we don’t punish them at all for any mistakes they may make. The judges don’t score based off of how pretty their dress is or how manicured their nails or hair are. The Princess Pageant is all about what makes them smile and what makes them happy,” she said. “They’re looking for somebody who can go out there [and]smile for the crowds or for the vendors year-round. They need to be able to say what their name is, how old they are and their title.”
Each winner of the Princess Pageant got an embroidered book bag full of goodies, unlimited fair rides, and will represent the county as a Chesterfield County Royal.
