Rice County Fair Ambassador Coronation is Saturday

The Rice County Fair 2021 Ambassador Coronation is 6:00 p.m. Saturday in the large Commercial Exhibit Building next to the Sellner Stage on the Fairgrounds.  The event is open to the public with no admission charged.

I had the opportunity to enjoy a meal with the Ambassador candidates at Signature Bar and Grill in downtown Faribault Tuesday night.  I'm seriously glad I am not a judge.

There are six young women vying for Ambassador and five Junior Ambassador candidates including two boys and three girls.

Here is the list of Ambassador candidates in no particular order.

• Grace Hoover is the 16-year-old daughter of Michael Hoover of Dundas. She will be a junior at Northfield High School in the fall and hopes to attend Oklahoma State University for a double major in Agricultural Communications and Animal Science. Grace is interested in becoming a Rice County Fair Ambassador because ever since she was a little kid, she has attended the county fair for the whole week. Her favorite part of the Rice County Fair is all of the long-lasting friendships she has made and the memories she has at the fair with those friends. She also loves watching and participating in many of the shows. Grace has been an active member of Rice County 4-H and has held many different leadership positions, additionally she has been involved in Northfields LEO Club, Volleyball, and Youth Group. In her free time, she enjoys painting, photography, working with animals, and camping with friends and family. Grace is sponsored by A&A Performance Kennels in Faribault.

• Emily Liebl is the 20-year-old daughter of Ken and Sara Liebl of Dennison. Emily graduated from Northfield High School in 2019 and will be a Junior at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth this fall, majoring in Marketing and Business Management. Emily is interested in becoming one of the Rice County Fair Ambassadors because it will allow her to learn and improve many skills including public speaking and communication while also representing the fair. The fair has been a big part of Emily’s summer ever since she joined 4-H, 11 years ago. During high school Emily was active in 4-H where she held many leadership roles including being a camp counselor, she was a member of the National Honor Society, manager for the NHS girl’s lacrosse team, and danced for 10 years at Division Street Dance in Northfield. Currently Emily is involved in Circle K, a group at her college that focuses on community service as well as Team Delta which is responsible for planning and hosting the Freshman Welcome Weekend. In her free time Emily enjoys hiking and photography. Emily is sponsored by Division Street Dance in Northfield.

• Marisa Winget is the 16-year-old daughter of Dane and Sarah Winget of Northfield. She will be a Junior at Northfield High School this fall and also does Post Secondary Education Opportunity (PSEO) classes through Inver hills Community College. After graduating from NHS she plans to attend the University of Wisconsin in River Falls to major in Biology with a minor in Vet Science. Marisa is interested in becoming one of the Rice County Fair Ambassadors for many reasons. Mainly it's been a dream since she was a little girl. Marisa says it would provide her with a chance to meet many new influential and intelligent individuals. In school Marisa is an active member of the Student Council, the Northfield Hi-liners Dance Team as well as the Northfield High School Girls Track Team. Outside of school Marisa has been involved in Rice County 4-H for the past 8 years and has been a 4-H ambassador, an education representative, and a camp counselor, as well as holding many different leadership positions at club and local levels. In her free time Marisa enjoys playing instruments including the ukulele and guitar, working with her 4-H animals, cooking, and baking. Marisa’s favorite memories of the fair include attending the 4-H auction with her grandpa as a little girl. Marisa is sponsored by Lonsdale Feed Mill.

Here are the Junior Ambassador Candidates in no particular order.

• Daphne Luckow is the 7-year-old daughter of Mitchell and Allie Luckow of Faribault. Daphne will be a 2^nd grader at Divine Mercy Catholic School in Faribault this fall. Daphne’s favorite subject in school is math, and outside of school Daphne enjoys youth group and gymnastics. Daphne wants be a Rice County Fair Junior Ambassador because she loves going to the fair every year and having fun with her family. Daphne’s favorite memory of the fair is seeing her sisters face after every time she rides the zipper.  Her favorite thing to do is go on rides and eat at the BA booth. Daphne is sponsored by the Parker Kohl Funeral Home of Faribault.

• Balin Winget is the 7-year-old son of Dane and Sarah Winget of Northfield. This fall Balin will be a 2^nd grader at Greenvale Park Elementary in Northfield. Balin’s favorite subject in school is art. Outside of school Balin is a member of the Wheatland Wheaties 4-H club. Balin wants to be a Rice County Fair Junior Ambassador because he thinks it would be fun, and he can make new friends and tell everybody how awesome the Rice County Fair is. Balin’s favorite memories of the fair are entering his Legos into open class and watching all of the big kids show their animals. Balin is sponsored by Lonsdale Feed Mill of Lonsdale.

• Alexa Rojas is the 9-year-old daughter of Jose and Sarah Rojas of Faribault. This fall Lexi will be a 4^th grader at Cannon River STEM School, Lexi’s favorite subject is writing. Lexi participates in many different activities including church, soccer, hockey, and cheerleading. Lexi wants to be a Rice County Fair Junior Ambassador because it is an opportunity to help out and share how much she loves the Rice County Fair. Lexi’s favorite memory at the fair is the first time she got to ride on the Starship 2000, its now one of her favorite rides at the fair, and she loves riding all the rides with her family. Lexi is sponsored by Rojas All Pros Companies of Northfield.

Photos and Bios were submitted to the Rice County Fair by the candidates.

2019 Rice County Fair Ambassadors Kelsie DeMars of Faribault, Kaia Quimby of Faribault and Ella Schmidt of Nerstrand will give farewell speeches.

Upon completion of their service each of the 2019 Ambassadors receives a $750 scholarship provided by David Gross of Faribault.

You will probably remember many of these individuals.