Five young ladies vying for crown of 2026 Allamakee County Fair Queen; Four girls taking part in this year’s Little Miss Contest

July 15 coronation event for both groups will help kick off the 173rd Allamakee County Fair

The pageantry of the Allamakee County Fair will kick off this year’s event once again, as the traditional Allamakee County Fair Queen Contest will again be complemented by the celebration of the Allamakee County Fair Little Miss Contest for younger ages. The coronation event for both of those competitions, featuring a total of nine Allamakee County young ladies between the two contests this year, will take place Wednesday, July 15 at 5 p.m. at the Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon to help kick off the 173rd Allamakee County Fair, running July 15-19 in Waukon.

Five Allamakee County young ladies, ranging in age from 16 to 17 years old, are vying for the title of 2026 Allamakee County Fair Queen. Those five candidates seeking this year’s Queen crown include Reegan Benzing of Waukon, Addisyn Berns of Harpers Ferry, Miriam Downing of Waukon, Olivia Enyart of Postville, and Makenna Kurth of Lansing. Photos and biographies of each candidate are available in the Wednesday, July 8 ediiton of the Standard.

Perhaps providing a stepping stone to that Fair Queen pageantry is a contest established locally just two years ago for those younger in age, as four girls ranging in age from seven to nine years old are seeking the title of Allamakee County Fair Little Miss. Those four Little Miss hopefuls include Rayna Collins of Harpers Ferry, Khloe Deering of Luana, Myla Evanson of Waterville, and Wrenley Rixen of Waukon. Their photos and introductions are available in that same Wednesday, July 8 edition of the Standard.

The crowning of each of this year’s contest winners will kick off this year’s Fair Wednesday, July 15, beginning at 5 p.m., at the Fairgrounds Pavilion. Each of the contestants for both the Queen and Little Miss competitions will be escorted by their parents/guardians as they are introduced during the event. The coronation event is free to attend and open to the public.

According to Allamakee County Fair Queen Contest coordinator Diana Davison, the preparation and pre-coronation portion of the contest that has been part of the event the past several years for the young ladies involved in the Fair Queen Contest will be taking place again this year. Beth Wilson with Stylish Buffalo Salon in Lansing is doing hair for each candidate, and Rylee Sweeney-Einck of Hidden Beauty Studio in Waukon is doing make-up for the Queen candidates.

Maui Sunshine in Waukon will provide the newly-crowned Queen with a shopping spree prior to her competition at the Iowa State Fair, and the Queen will also receive a Colour Analysis with Crystal Blin from House of Colour East Cedar Valley. Sycamore Floral in Waukon is donating bouquets and corsages for the contests, and Elliott Jewelers in Waukon is donating crowns and a ring for the Queen and jewelry for the new Little Miss.

Continuing with this year’s Fair Queen participation is the fourth annual pie auction. Each candidate will provide a pie to be auctioned off either during the Wednesday, July 15 Truck and Tractor Pull event or during the Saturday, July 18 Rogue Rodeo as part of this year’s grandstand entertainment at the Fair. The funds raised from those pie auction events will be going to the Fair Royalty Fund and the 2027 Fair Improvements Project.

To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, July 8, 2026 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.