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By Maile Rudebusch Special to The Freeman WAUKESHA – The Waukesha County Fair Association will again host the Fairest of the Fair competition. The winner of the Fairest of the Fair becomes an ambassador for the Waukesha County Fair. Whoever is crowned Fairest of the Fair has the duty of promoting and informing the community of the county fair and its importance. "Our Fairest of the Fair has been around for 54 years now, that's across the whole state of Wisconsin. Here in Waukesha, we've been a part of it since it was a thing," explained Chrissy Gluege, executive direc- tor, Waukesha County Fair Association. "When you think about that and what it started as, a pageant-geared community event that would bring in ladies of all ages above 18. They would become ambassadors for the fair and the community at large. That makes Waukesha so special, it's kind of given development and growth into com- munications and marketing opportunities." Not only do the Fairest of the Fair get to be a part of the fair, but they also represent something bigger. They are part of the old- est county fair in the state. Their job is to continue that legacy and let the community know why it is such a staple for the commu- nity as a whole. Even after 180 years, the Waukesha County Fair still has big ideas as to how the fair will develop in the future. The Fairest of the Fair ambassadors play a big part in helping get the word out there and help shape the fair's future. "Fairs are a special place, and I think that our fair is unique," Gluege said. "Not every state has that. Understanding that these ladies or gentlemen are fair ambassa- dors. They apply for the program them- selves and we have a competition that is held before the fair. It's going to be next week. These candidates go in front of a panel judge. They get asked questions, any- thing from how to approach current ven- dors, community members, and certain partners, to company picnics." The Fairest of the Fair candidate is someone that should be proud to hold the position and become a standout addition to the community. In 2020, the Waukesha County Fair Association looked at the pro- gram to see about any improvements that they could make. The goal was to continue to develop the Fairest of the Fair ambassa- dors, giving them the tools to be successful leaders later in life. With the help of the previous winners, the newly crowned Fairest of the Fair can see how presenting on the stage at the fair looks. They gather ideas about how the rest of their time as an ambassador will go. "It's a growing, developing program that we have stayed committed to building those leadership skills and developing those com- munication opportunities. It opens up the door for a platform for whatever direction that they see fit," Gluege said. "(Our previ- ous Fairest of the Fair) Emma, who was into the youth organizations and highlight- ing the key sponsors, was more her direc- tion of the platform." The Fairest of the Fair Ambassador pro- gram is designed to be more than the initial crowning. The program works to engage the community on several different levels. The ambassadors interact with the commu- nity through public appearances, Facebook Live, community outreach and other local projects. "We'll see next week once we crown our 2023 Fairest of the Fair as to what direction they want to go. It's an open-ended platform, with guidelines of course, that allows these young future leaders to go in a direction that highlights the community. All in a way that is important to them," Gluege said. Building the leaders of tomorrow, the Fairest of the Fair Ambassador provides community outreach WAUKESHA COUNTY FAIR The FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE JULY 2022 7 Check us out! • Summer/Fall Volleyball Leagues • Summer/Fall Bowling Leagues • Bags • Open Bowling • Party/Meeting Room Rental • Birthday Parties • And More! Sign up now starting for all fall bowling leagues! Call 252.542.9151 for information CALL FOR FALL BOWLING LEAGUE AVAILABILITY AND SIGN UP BOTH LOCATIONS • THURSDAY NIGHT BIKE NITE • WEDNESDAY NIGHTS CALVANO'S CAR SHOW NITE 4:00 - SUNDOWN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC LIVE MUSIC rain or shine FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS FoxxView L A N E S 2440 W. SUNSET DR. | WAUKESHA 262-544-2010 Open Daily 11am | foxxviewlanes.com Submmited by The Waukesha County Fair Association Emma Vorpagel was last year's Fairest of the Fair.

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