PRINCESS ANNE — The Somerset County Fair kicks off this week with the Little Miss and Junior Miss Pageant on Monday and the Miss Fair Queen Pageant on Tuesday, both at 7 p.m. at the Somerset County Civic Center.

The theme this year is “Make a Splash” and winners will succeed 2020 Fair Queen Madison Clayton, Junior Miss Alayna Taylor, and Little Miss Stella Howard.

Madison, who was the 2008 Little Miss Fair Queen, is a 2021 graduate of Crisfield High School where she was a distinguished student, and an eight-time Ben Carson Scholar. She will be attending Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., as a pre-med scholar, majoring in cellular, molecular and physiological biology and business.

Her goal is to become a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.

Alayna is a rising seventh grader and will be attending Somerset Intermediate School, and Stella will be entering the first grade at Living Hope Christian School.

The pageant chair is again Lynne Johnson, and admission each evening is $5.

Fair Queen contestants (ages 14-19), Junior Miss contestants ages (9-13), and Little Miss contestants ages (4-8) were eligible to take part with one year added to the traditional age groupings since there was no contest last year. All of the young ladies are either full-time residents or full-time students in Somerset County, or a 4-H Club member in the county.

Candidates vying to be the 2021 Fair Queen are Ashley Dinterman, Emily Hinman, Erika Hurwitz, Jahniah Johnson, Jayla Thomas, Jaylin Thomas, Victoria Travers and Hayley Wright.

Junior Miss contestants are Ariana Burke, Ava Evans, Sophie Mister, Ellie Sterling and Alayna Taylor.

Little Miss contestants are Bristol Bradley, Chloie Burke, Rosalyn Hill, Bella Matusky, Ellie Nottingham, Presley Paul, Ma’Kayla Price and Mattie Wilhelm.

On Wednesday and Thursday indoor entries and judging begins, and livestock, poultry and rabbits are checked in. The fairgrounds open 8 a.m. Friday with the dairy cattle show at 11, dairy goat show at 2 and meat goat show at 7. Weather permitting there will be a horse pull at 7 at which time Somerset’s Best Desserts entered earlier that day will be auctioned.

The horse show is Saturday, with kid events from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. plus additional contests and shows throughout the day. The popular greased pig contest is at 6:30, followed by jousting at 7.

A mounted shooting competition is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 1, with the awards presented at 4.

The Fair Book this year is dedicated to Mike King, the fair board’s vice president who for 20 years has served as either VP or president. A long-time 4-H volunteer, Farm Bureau board member and a charter member of the Somerset County Young Farmers, he recently became president of the Civic Center board.

“His tireless efforts can be seen in the many improvements to the fairgrounds, as he was always there when work was to be done,” the dedication states. His creativity, construction skills and ingenuity made several events better through the years, and “He can usually be found before, during, and after the fair on his Bobcat, moving all the heavy objects.”

Mr. King and his wife Janice operate Kingswood Farms, retiring recently as poultry producers after 37 years. They have four children and four grandchildren.

Go here to view the 2021 Fair Book.