Crowds lined Broadway Street as the Wright County Fair Parade kicked off at 6 p.m. Area Scouts led the way by carrying a huge flag along the parade route. Following right behind was this year’s grand marshal, Florine Swanson, of Galt.

The parade was filled with fair queen candidates, lots of fire and emergency vehicles, a clown car from the Wright County Shrine Club, and many, many children lining the route to fill their bags with goodies thrown from the parade entries.

Once the parade ended at the Wright County Fairgrounds, the fun continued, as First Bank of Eagle Grove, Clarion and Goldfield, and the Eagle Grove Fareway Store sponsored a free watermelon feed. Many attendees could be seen enjoying a refreshing slice of watermelon on the warm Iowa evening.

There was much to do at the fairgrounds, including a carnival run by Scott Amusements, The Doc Magic Fun Time Variety Show featuring Dewayne Reynolds as Doc Magic, and numerous food vendors for fair goers to satisfy their appetites.

-Messenger photo by David Borer
Pictured from left are Madi Ingebritson, 2023 Wright County Fair Queen MaKayla Beisel, Ella Tew, and the 2022 Fair Queen Paige German.

The evening festivities began a little later by honoring Grand Marshal Swanson for her decades of dedicated service to the 4-H program, including serving as the Iowa 4-H Foundation executive director. Swanson was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame in 2010. On Wednesday, she carried a photo of her husband, Ronald, whom she lost in 2022. She said he was alongside her throughout the decades of involvement with 4-H.

Then the Wright County Fair Board awarded scholarships of $500 each to Wright County 4-H members Reid Huntley and Dakota Alt. These scholarships will help them with college expenses.

During the Little Miss & Mr. Contest, in which more than 30 children vied for the title of Wright County Fair Little Miss & Mr., the fair queen contestants served as judges.

Jayda Alt, of Woolstock, and Ronald Holland, of Eagle Grove, were named the 2023 Little Miss & Mr.

Finally, before a now very large crowd, the Wright County Fair Coronation was held. Before the new fair queen was announced, reigning Wright County Fair Queen Paige German, of Clarion, addressed the crowd regarding her year as Fair Queen.

-Messenger photo by David Borer
Jayda Alt, of Woolstock, and Ronald Holland, of Eagle Grove, were the winners of the Little Miss & Mr. contest Wednesday evening at the Wright County Fair.

And then the moment that the crowd had been waiting for. Three young women entered the contest this year: Madi Ingerbritson, Ella Tew and MaKayla Beisel.

Beisel was named Miss Congeniality, but she was also judged the 2023 Wright County Fair Queen.

Beisel will not only represent Wright County in the Iowa State Fair Queen contest, but she will perform a dance routine in the Bill Riley Talent Search competition, as well as showing poultry at the Fair.