CLEARFIELD – Friends and family in her grandstand fan club waved a homemade sign – Abby for Queen. A panel of judges agreed as Abby Jamison was crowned the 2015 Fair Queen at the 27th annual competition at the Clearfield County Fair.
Jamison of Luthersburg will be joined in her court by first runner-up Lyndsey Good of DuBois. Good was the first runner-up last year; she was also the second runner-up in the 2013 fair queen competition.
Jamison will also be joined in her court by second runner-up Emily Andrulonis of DuBois; third runner-up Cassie Folmar of Luthersburg and fourth runner-up, Rachel Duke of Clearfield.
Cassie Folmar is the younger sister of 2014 Fair Queen Chelsea Folmar, who placed in four straight competitions. Before becoming fair queen last year, Chelsea Folmar was the first runner-up in both 2013 and 2012 and the second runner-up in 2011.
“I’m still in disbelief,” said Jamison just moments after being crowned by Chelsea Folmar. “It hasn’t sunk in that I’m wearing this crown. Last year was my first year in this competition and to think how much my life has changed in just two short years.”
She added that: “Fair week will be amazing. I love all of those girls. I cannot wait to spend my next year with them.” Jamison thanked the fair board and fair queen committee and 2014 Fair Queen Chelsea Folmar who showed her how to be confident and true to herself.
During the timed, on-stage speech portion of the competition, contestants were to answer the question – “Why Come to My Fair?” – in three to five minutes. Jamison said everyone has a different answer and every answer is right.
For her she’s drawn through the fair gates because of Pennsylvania’s No. 1 industry – agriculture. She said agriculture – although not an easy way of life – has existed for centuries out of the passion and compassion of hard-working farmers who put food in our mouths and clothes on our backs.
According to Jamison, everyone coming through the fair’s gates should take some time to learn about agriculture and to pay respect to the hard work of farmers. The Clearfield County Fair has been woven together for 155 years by hard work and brings the atmosphere of home, she said.
Jamison will represent the fair at the Pennsylvania State Fair Queen Competition in January in Hershey. Rachel Carr Davidson of the Fair Queen committee said they try to closely model the local competition to that of the state competition.
Davidson said the fair queen contestants submitted a personal essay on what the fair means to their community (15 points); participated in a personal interview with the judges (35 points); and competed in an on-stage timed speech (30 points) and evening gown introduction (20 points).
This year she said the Fair Queen committee added a non-judged event to the competition. She said contestants attended a judges’ reception, which is a part of the state competition. She said it allowed the judges to observe the fair queen contestants in a social setting.
Davidson said once judges select the Top 5 contestants, these girls are sequestered and asked the same impromptu question. She said the Fair Queen committee added this segment in recent years to closer model the local competition to the state competition in Hershey.
During Sunday’s fair queen competition, 2013 Fair Queen Taylor Rae Goodman crowned this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Miracle Kid, Caley Halerz, as an honorary Clearfield County Fair Queen for a day. Bob E. Day was also honored for serving as master of ceremonies for the past 25 fair queen competitions.
