The Adair County Fair starts on Wednesday, and one of the things people look forward to is the Fair Queen Contest.

Bailey Carstens, the 2024 Adair County Fair Queen says that being chosen for the position is a great honor, and that she plans to help the 2025 Adair County Fair Queen realize that as well. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio about one of the things that is fun and interesting about being a Fair Queen.

“Once the (Adair) County Fair is over, you head on to the state competition where you are to be judged to see who the next (Iowa) State Fair Queen will be. So there is about 104 queens that meet every single year for about a week in Altoona, and you attend the (Iowa) State Fair for a few days. You get judged many times by the judges there. It’s a great opportunity not only to represent your county, but to get to know other people.”

Carstens mentions that before the Adair County Fair starts on Wednesday, there will be an interview portion of the Fair Queen Contest. She adds that once the 2025 Queen is coronated, the new queen will attend the fair every day, helping out the Fair Board and attending multiple events.