Last year's Junior Fair King and Queen, Clayton Sprowl and Lauren Rennicker, will help crown this year's Junior Fair royalty during a ceremony on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. (Submitted photo)

Dover, Ohio - The crowning of a new Junior Fair King and Queen will kick off the 2018 edition of the Tuscarawas County Fair in royal fashion.

The contest begins at 6:30 p.m. in the main show area and will feature seven area young ladies vying for the Queen’s title and one young man who will be crowned king by default.

The annual competition is open to boys and girls ages 16 to 19 who are enrolled in a 4-H or FFA chapter and eligible to exhibit at the Tuscarawas County Fair. 

Contestants are judged based on club activities, leadership, poise, personality, 4-H or FFA achievements, appearance and attire, communication experience, and responses to questions posed during their pre-contest interview.

Vying for the Queen’s title this year are:

• Mikayla Horn, 18, of New Philadelphia. Mikayla is a student at Ashland University and a member of the Town and Country 4-H Club. She is the daughter of Jerry Jr. and Melissa Horn.  
• Chelsea Grove, 17, of Gnadenhutten. Chelsea is a student at Indian Valley High School and a member of the Happy Homesteaders 4-H Club. She is the daughter of Scott and Jennifer Grove.
• Megan Murphy, 16, of Mineral City. Megan is a student at Tusky Valley High School and a member of the Heartlanders 4-H Club. She is the daughter of Don Murphy and Carla Hammel.
• Vidalia Porter, 16, of Strasburg. Vidalia is a student at Strasburg High School and a member of the Happy Harvesters 4-H Club. She is the daughter of Charles and Mandy Porter.
• Makayla Miller, 18, of New Philadelphia. Makayla is a student at Walsh University and a member of the Stone Creek Peas and Carrots 4-H Club. She is the daughter of John and Marsha Miller.
• Mackenzie Hursey, 19, of Newcomerstown. Mackenzie is a student at Kent State University at Tuscarawas and a member of the Buckhorn Tribe 4-H Club. She is the daughter of Kip and Marjorie Hursey. 
• Maggie Miller, 17, of Port Washington. Maggie is a student at Indian Valley High School and a member of the Angel Valley Rosebuds and Ramblers 4-H Club. She is the daughter of Mike and Emily Miller. 

Carlo Capozella is the only candidate for king this year. The 17-year-old attends Dover High School and is a member of Town and County 4-H Club. His parents are Dan and Jill Capozella.

Passing their crowns to this year’s winners will be 2017 Junior Fair King and Queen Clayton Sprowl and Lauren Rennicker. 

The newly-crowned royalty will represent the Tuscarawas County Fair during Junior and Senior fair activities throughout the week. The queen will also represent the county at the Ohio Fair Queen Contest this January in Columbus.

Additional Junior Fair royalty for 2018 includes Pork Producers Queen Kayla Scott and Attendant Emily Pfeiffer,
Cattlemen's Association Princesses Nora Randoulph and Kelly Hinds, and Dairy Princesses Mckenzie Wiles and       Katelyn Foust. 

Immediately following this Sunday's Junior Fair King and Queen contest will be the fair's annual commemorative plate auction and a ceremony recognizing the winners of the Companion Animal, Miscellaneous and FCS Project Awards.

Also on tap for Sunday is one of the fair's most beloved attractions - the arrival of the entries for Heaviest Pumpkin or Squash. The gourds will be trucked in from 4 to 8 p.m. for weigh-ins, and rumor has it that one of this year's entries tips the scales at nearly a thousand pounds. 

Stacey Carmany, Tusco TV