CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre reminds area residents that it’s time to start thinking about the CAST Most Beautiful Baby Contest at the Clearfield County Fair. The annual contest has become a popular fixture at the fair. This year the Clearfield County Fair runs July 29 through Aug. 4.
This year CAST is introducing a new contest. Along with the traditional baby contest, there will be a Most Beautiful Child Contest for children who have passed the “baby” age. The two contests will be kept completely separate as far as voting and prizes.
“Several of us were sitting around talking about the baby contest and how much fun it is and how we’d like to make it even more fun,” said Ruth Loffredi, CAST executive director. “Then we thought about all the beautiful children out there who are a little past the “baby” stage but whose parents would still like to have them in the contest.”
Just as it always has, the CAST Most Beautiful Baby contest will include babies from birth through the age of 36 months. The CAST most Beautiful Child Contest will include children ages 3 years to 6 years. Parent(s) can register their children in the contest at the CAST Building during business hours of Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. until Sunday of the fair. The registration fee is $3. Parents can also register their children in the Most Beautiful Baby Contest and Most Beautiful Child Contest at the CAST booth in the Expo II Building the Sunday afternoon the fair opens and also throughout fair week.
The two contests will be held side by side at the CAST Booth at the Clearfield County Fair in the Expo II Building. Voting will be kept separate for both categories. The guidelines for both contests will be the same.
Those entering their children in the contest should decorate an 11-ounce (coffee) or a comparable size can (no large cans please) complete with the child’s picture and name. According to Sue Loffredi, CAST managing director, “Since the money is taken out of the can and counted each night, it is important to decorate the can in such a way that the lid can be taken off and put on easily without hurting the appearance of the can.
“Also,” she continued, “we want this contest to be fair to each child and we try to avoid anything that might block another child’s can, so, please, no photos above the top of the can and no photos sticking out from the can. If twins or siblings are entered in the contest, each child must have his or her own can.” She said, “People sometimes ask if they can have money in the can when they register and the answer is yes. Sometimes people have relatives or friends from out of town who want to vote for the child and they are welcome to do so.”
There will be first-, second-, and third-place winners in both categories and each winner will receive a beautiful engraved trophy. The parents of each winner will receive a CAST gift certificate for tickets to the November production of “Oliver!”
The Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre is a nonprofit multi arts center located at 112 E. Locust St. in downtown Clearfield and is Central Pennsylvania’s home of the arts. All money from the contest will help CAST continue their theatrical productions and their many arts programs.
Anyone with questions is welcome to call the CAST Office at 765-4474 during weekday business hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. and speak with Sue or Ruth. For more information on CAST, visit the CAST Web site.