A Message from St. Croix County Fairest of the Fair, Shelby Weiske
A Message from St. Croix County Fairest of the Fair, Shelby Weiske
This past January, I was able to represent St. Croix County at the 2016 Wisconsin Association of Fairs Convention where I was able to compete for the title of Wisconsin Fairest of Fairs. Whether it is on the midway, under the entertainment tent, in the barns, or in the 4-H buildings, I was able to witness how much it takes to run a fair. I quickly developed the idea that this process does not occur within the few months approaching the fair but rather all year. My respect for the work and effort that goes into the St. Croix County Fair is beyond words.
Aside from learning about the fair industry, I also had a competition to focus on as well. This year was the 50th anniversary of the Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs competition. I was put through a lengthy process of individual and group interviews, impromptu event announcements, dining with the judges, radio announcements, and on-stage questions. I was fortunate enough to be selected as a top-ten semi-finalist.
I find it difficult to summarize my experience during my brief four days all in a short article. How does one write a brief segment in a column on something that impacted them so greatly? Gandhi sums it up perfectly, “Satisfaction lies in effort, not in attainment. Full effort is full victory”. That was what my experience was, full effort with minimal attainment but the feeling of accomplishing so much more.
The entire process of preparing to attend a convention such as this, as well as going through four days filled with learning, creating friendships, and growing as a young adult has shown me that I must take what I learned and apply it to other aspects of life, and this is something every individual should experience. I encourage any young adult who is interested in what our Fairest program has to offer to reach out and ask questions to either myself or our county coordinator. Most importantly, I challenge everyone to get involved in the fair industry; whether it is volunteering at the county level or even at the state fair, find a way to promote your fair. You may also enter into this program as an uncertain young adult but leave as a better version of yourself, one who will be able to use this experience in all areas of their life. If you have any interest in running, please visit to the St. Croix County Fairest of the Fair Facebook page, contact coornidators; Heidi Feyerreisen at 715-977-2365 or Janet Feyereisen at 715-796-5652!
