CLEARFIELD – Emily Andrulonis of Treasure Lake will celebrate her 20th birthday as the 2017 Clearfield County Fair Queen.
She was crowned Sunday evening by reigning queen Rachel Duke of Clearfield on the grandstand stage during the 29th Clearfield County Fair Queen Competition.
Andrulonis will be joined in her court by first runner-up Rebecca Liddle of DuBois, second runner-up Cassie Folmar of Luthersburg, third runner-up Jayna Vicary of Curwensville and fourth runner-up Kacie Means of Rockton.
“I’m so excited that I could cry,” said Andrulonis just moments after being crowned. “It’s the best birthday gift ever. I have been in this competition for four years, and I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
Andrulonis was the first runner-up last year; she was the second runner-up in 2015. Folmar was also the second runner-up last year and the third runner-up in 2015.
During her speech, Andrulonis welcomed people to the fourth largest fair in Pennsylvania that is 157 years old. Andrulonis, whose birthday is July 31, has celebrated many inside the Clearfield County Fairgrounds.
She said her fair paid tribute to Pennsylvania’s No. 1 industry – agriculture – and those who spent their entire lives working hard to put food on tables and clothes on people’s backs.
“They turn their seeds into blue-ribbon dreams,” Andrulonis said, “… and it’s all on display at my Clearfield County Fair. She went on to say fairs are built on tradition, and the one dearest to her is the harness racing.
Another special tradition, she said, was the four-hour long firemen’s parade, which concludes with the best fireworks display that Clearfield County has to offer.
For 157 years, generations of families have been coming to my fair. “The fair is family,” Andrulonis said. When her timed speech was complete, her “fair family” sang happy birthday to her.
Before the results were given, Rachel Carr Davidson, fair queen committee member, provided an overview of the fair queen competition. It closely resembles the Pennsylvania State Fair Competition, at which Andrulonis will represent the Clearfield County Fair.
According to her, contestants had already completed the first segment of the competition, a personal essay on what the fair means to their community.
Earlier on the day-of the competition, they had appeared for a personal interview with the panel of judges. Judges also had a chance to observe the contestants in a social setting at a reception, a non-judged event.
On-stage, the contestants competed in a timed three- to five-minute speech on why people should come to their fair and an evening gown/personal introduction.
Once the judges selected their Top 5, those contestants answered an impromptu question on what they felt were the key components to building a successful fair.
Bob E. Day served as the master of ceremonies, an honor he’s had since first doing so at the 1992 fair queen competition. Day was joined on-stage by Abby Jamison, 2015 fair queen.
