Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Queen crowned opening day of Iowa County Fair
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MARENGO — In the cattle barn, Rayfe Gorsch, of Belle Plaine, blow-dried his heifer, and Easton Mohr, of Ladora, fed his calf.
In the horse area, Piper Schmitt, of North English, practiced cantering.
Meanwhile, Stacy Montross, of Williamsburg, helped her daughter, Brynn, herd a pig into the wash bay where Brynn scrubbed the animal with a stiff brush.
Sadie Jacobi and Carter Atkinson, of Belle Plaine, found their dinner on the fairgrounds as the sun fell lower in the summer sky.
But the main event of opening day of the Iowa County Fair was the crowning of the 2025 Iowa County Fair Queen.
Before the coronation came necessary fundraising through the dessert auction.
Trent Forrest kept the bidding going as 30 desserts, shown by 2024 Fair Queen Hannah Gross, Princess Alannah McKibben, Little Mister Ethan Uhlman and Little Miss Ronnie Gahring, brought bids as high as $800.
Proceeds from the dessert auction go into the general fund to pay expenses for conducting the fair and maintenance of the buildings and grounds.
The Fair Board named Alex Grimm 2025 Friend of the Fair. Grimm has volunteered at the county fair for 20 years, said John Gahring. “They call him the director of transportation,” said Gahring because he makes sure everyone has a car in the parades.
Riding in those cars was Ulman’s favorite part of being Little Mister 2024, he said. Ronnie Gahring said her favorite part of being the 2024 Little Miss was “doing the parades.”
Candidates for this year’s Little Miss and Little Mister were introduced and asked simple questions by Hannah Gross and Alannah McKibben. The selection of the winners was made before the beginning of the fair and announced Wednesday evening.
The 2025 Little Mister is Eldon Meyer. Kamden Kruse was named first runner-up, and Brodie Heitman was second runner-up.
The new Little Miss is Eden Gahring. First runner-up was Everly Murrey, and second runner-up was Finley Kane.
Other contestants were Blynn Brunton, Ember Cameron, Lucas Dietrich, Olivia Driscoll, Lane Fetzer, Elisa Gahring, Sly Gahring, Everlee Hammes, Cashton Jones, Hadley Kane, Karley Koenig, Ethan Kuesel, Orvin Meyer, Paisley Perry and Charlie Slaymaker.
The 2024 Iowa County Princess, Alannah McKibben, was crowned 2025 Fair Queen. Avary Helmichs was named Princess as well as Miss Congeniality.
Queen contestants were judged in June, said John Gahring. “The judges are not from Iowa County,” he said. One of the judges was the Iowa State Fair Queen.
McKibben, the daughter of Kristie and Channon McKibben, is a 2025 graduate of Iowa Valley High School. She was involved in 4-H, FFA, the silver cord program, Iowa Valley student council, Future Business Leaders of America, Iowa Soccer Club, soccer, basketball, speech, drama, volleyball and track and was a member of the National Honor Society.
McKibben plans to major in nursing at Luther College and play collegiate soccer.
McKibben was escorted by Channon McKibben.
Helmrichs, the daughter of Amber and Chad Helmrichs, is also a 2025 graduate of Iowa Valley. She was involved in FFA, 4-H, FBLA, the Big Tigers Program, volleyball, basketball and the youth council. She plans to attended South Dakota State University and major in agriculture education.
Helmrichs was escorted by Kane Axmear.
Other candidates were Makenze Riedel and Madison Sickles.
Riedel, the daughter of Jenny and Robert Riedel, is a junior at Williamsburg High School. She’s involved in 4-H, FFA, the yearbook, Key Club, track, ARBA and NALRC. She plans to pursue acting after graduating from high school and plans to own a large farm with a lot of animals.
Riedel was escorted by Justin Funk.
Sickles, daughter of Stacy and Chad Sickles, is a junior at Williamsburg High School She’s involved in FFA, 4-H, the silver cord program, softball, volleyball, track, archery, band, choir and youth council. She plans to attended Kirkwood Community College after high school and major in ag business or marketing.
Sickles was escorted by Chad Sickles.
As Gross ended her duties as fair queen, she joked that she was surprised she was given the crown in the first place because she lost her dress an hour before the coronation ceremony last year.
Gross said she remembered being a small child and asking her grandfather to take her on the combine. She practiced her “pretty please,” she said, but her grandfather told her tractors aren’t for little girls. Gross was five at the time.
The Iowa County Fair has taught Gross that “girls can do anything,” she said. They can show cattle. They can make welding projects.
“We can wear a sparkling crown while doing all of it,” Gross said.
Iowa County “raises not just blue ribbon animals but blue ribbon people,” Gross said.
