(La Porte County, IN) - This year’s La Porte County Fair queen was hatched from a farm raising mostly chickens for meat and eggs.

 

Samantha Wilson fell just short of her childhood dream as first runner-up in last year’s fair pageant.  Wilson said being crowned queen this year has kept her very busy from her commitment to attend many of the fair related events but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

“It’s a lot of fun.  I’m super grateful for the opportunity,” she said.

 

The La Porte County Fair opened on July 6th and runs through Saturday, July 13th.

 

Wilson said she always dreamed about being fair queen but never thought she would be able to enter the pageant because of her busy schedule, which included raising rabbits and other projects like sewing during her 10 years in 4-H as a youth.

 

After her eligibility in the 4-H program expired, she found just enough free time to enter the pageant.  She didn’t expect to receive such a favorable response from the judges.

 

“I was like, you know what, I’m not in 4-H anymore so I might as well give it a shot and I did and I surprised myself,” she said.

 

The 2022 graduate of New Prairie High School grew up just inside the La Porte County line, west of New Carlisle on 34 acres used mostly now for raising chickens for meat and eggs.

 

“We provide for ourselves there. It’s really nice.  Peaceful,” she said.

 

Her parents also raised corn and soybeans for a while along with a few horses but stopped because of the demands from their full time work schedules.  Wilson said there are still a few goats kept on the property.

 

In the fall, she will be sophomore at Indiana Wesleyan University where she is majoring in psychology.  Eventually, Wilson said she hopes to get a master’s degree in counseling psychology and become a mental health therapist.

 

This year’s first runner up is Kayle Dove.

 

The 19 year old La Porte native is going to be a sophomore at Purdue University where she’s studying business management.  She hopes to make a living in sales after receiving her degree.

 

Dove said she was never in 4-H but often helped friends in 4-H with their livestock.  Her interest in photography lead her to take pictures of her friend while they were showing their animals during the fair.

 

She said meeting new people is among the things she likes most about her role in the queen’s court.

 

“I’ve definitely made some lifelong friendships from this pageant,” she said.

 

The fair princess is Lyla Bannwart, who lives on about 3,000 acres outside Fish Lake.  Bannwart, 17, was also named Miss Congeniality in this year’s fair pageant.  Her family raises corn and soybeans along with beef.

 

She had difficulty containing her excitement while describing what it feels like to serve in her official capacity with the fair.

 

“I made so many connections and I just love talking to people and part of the job is talking to people. It’s so much fun,” she said.

 

Bannwart will be a senior in the fall at La Porte High School.