Miss Fairfax and Junior Miss Fairfax
Kendal Straub was crowned Miss Fairfax 2023 and Avery Fast was crowned Junior Miss Fairfax 2023.
Little Mr. and Miss Fairfax
Nash Stevens and Scout Avery Smith were crowned Little Mr. and Miss Fairfax at the Fairfax Fair Friday evening, August 18, 2023.
CH-F Auxilian of the Year
Amy Sefrit was named the 2023 Community Hospital-Fairfax Auxilian of the Year. She was honored with a ride in the parade.
Ginny and Jack Vernon, Parade Marshals
This year’s Fairfax Fair Parade Marshals were Ginny and Jack Vernon, longtime supporters of the Fairfax Fair and community.
The Fairfax Optimist Club selected Ginny and Jack Vernon to be the Parade Marshals of the 2023 Fairfax Fair Parade. Both Ginny and Jack are lifelong residents of Atchison County. They have lived just outside of Fairfax for the past 34 years. Both stay involved in and support many community organizations and projects: American Legion, Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, Leadership Northwest Missouri, Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation, Community Hospital-Fairfax Auxiliary, and Beta Sigma Phi Xi Lambda Beta, to name a few.
This year’s Fair theme, “Small Town – Big Family,” is so fitting for Ginny and Jack. Fairfax is home and they love the fact that all their lives they have been able to stay close to home. And now they love being close to family and friends that are like family.
Ginny worked 41 years for USDA FSA in various positions, finishing her career as District Director for 12 counties in Northwest Missouri. She retired in 2004.
Jack is a Vietnam veteran, serving four years in the Navy. He farmed for a few years after returning from the service and later was owner-operator of Jack Vernon Trucking until his retirement in 2018.
Ginny was born west of Fairfax and moved to Rock Port with her mother soon after WWII ended. She graduated from Rock Port High School.
Jack went to school in Rock Port, moving to Fairfax before his junior year of high school. Jack graduated from Fairfax High School.
Jack’s children are also graduates of Fairfax High School. Jennifer and her husband, Scott Schoonover, live in Trimble, Missouri. John, his wife, Chastidy and daughters, Kinslei and Amaya, live in Montrose, Minnesota.
Ginny’s children are both graduates of Tarkio High School. Neil Million and his wife, Donna, live in Tarkio, Missouri. Her daughter, Nancy Hummel, and husband, Jeff, live in Clarinda, Iowa.
Neil’s daughter, Ashley Million Cook, is a graduate of Fairfax High School. She and her husband, Adam, live in Rock Port with son, Bracton, and daughter, Braeley. Donna’s family includes daughters Andrea Lopez and Angela Bell. Andrea lives in Tarkio with her daughters, Brynleigh and Brecklynn, and Angela, her husband, Justin, and their daughter Addison, also live in Tarkio.
Nancy and Jeff Hummel have two sons. Michael lives in Clarinda, and Bryant, his wife, Ashley, and their daughters, Charlotte, Dainelle and Emmy, live in Kearney, Missouri.
Ginny and Jack are very honored and humbled to be this year’s Parade Marshals. They have so many memories of so many Fairfax Fair weekends, which include Jack flipping hamburgers in the Masonic stand and getting grandkids ready for the parade – one year in pouring down rain. (Jack remembers calling Ben Umbarger to ask if the parade would be delayed or canceled because of the rain. Ben’s reply – never has been!) They made sure the convertible and the old car were clean and ready to go down the hill, helped with the baby show, and more. And they always made sure they had lots of quarters for grandkids and now great-grandkids to play the games and ride the S.S. Harry Combs riverboat.
Some good tunes at the Fairfax Fair
Donovan Jones kept the crowd entertained with a medley of Elton John and Billy Joel songs.
Clint Dougherty gave the audience some Garth Brooks and Josh Turner.
Christina Hall took the stage early singing some Sara Evans and Miranda Lambert.
The Southeast Nebraska Community Band started Saturday evening off with the “Star Spangled Banner.” During the evening performance, Fairfax band and music teacher Debra Wyatt was the conductor. When she wasn’t directing, she played the clarinet.
Brad Mathers joins in on the fun with his alto saxophone.
Bill Slaughter still gets with it on his trombone.
Fairfax Fair Baby/Youth Show
Babies from birth to 6 months old participating in the Baby/Youth Show were: Jesse Clement, daughter of Chance and Chelsea Clement; Emily Mae Drummond, daughter of Nathan and Crissy Drummond; Whitley Sander, daughter of Kyle and Kaylyn Sander; Bray William Baughman, son of Josh and Brooklynn Baughman; Tucker Rohlfsen, son of Derek and Alyssa Rohlfsen; and Brinlyn Mercer, daughter of Darek and Destiny Mercer.
Walker Giddinge, son of TJ and Heather Giddinge, was the only participant in the 7 months to 1 year old category of the Baby/Youth Show. He was escorted by his sister, Addy.
Toddlers in the one-year-old category of the Baby/Youth Show were: Adelie Stevens, daughter of Dustin and Christy Stevens; Caroline Oswald, daughter of Michael and Amanda Oswald; and Henry Lamar, son of Zach and Aleesha Lemar.
Participants in the two-year-old category of the Baby/Youth Show were: Audrey Zumbrunnen, daughter of James and Amber Zumbrunnen; Liam Daugherty (age 3), son of Kelly and Billy Daugherty; and Ellie Clement, daughter of Chance and Chelsea Clement.
The three-year-old participants of the Baby/Youth Show were: Cammie White, daughter of Kyland and Alicia White; Danica Boyle, daughter of Dwayne and Angela Boyle; Knox Murphy, son of Jarrod and Kourtney Murphy; Claire Oswald, daughter of Michael and Amanda Oswald; Berkley Schebaum, daughter of Whitney Harrington and Zach Schebaum; and Stella Mercer, daughter of Derek and Destiny Mercer.
Participating in the four-year-old category of the Baby/Youth Show were: Chanleigh Clement, daughter of Chance and Chelsea Clement; Belle and Lottie Miller, daughters of Tyson and Megan Miller; and Everlee Holland Smith, daughter Dan and Ginny Smith.
The children who participated in the Little Mr. and Miss Fairfax contest and/or who entered the 5 & 6 year-old division of the Fairfax Fair Baby/Youth Show, from left to right, were: Jack Clement, son of Chance and Chelsea Clement; Brylee Corbin, daughter of Ashlee Corbin and Bryant Corbin; Charlie White, daughter of Kyland and Alicia White; Nash Stevens, son of Justin and Stephanie Stevens; Lilly Bailey Corbin, daughter of Ashley Corbin and Bryant Corbin; Wade Reed, son of Maria and Brandon Reed; Annistyn Schebaum, daughter of Whitney Harrington and Zach Schebaum; Garrett Reed, son of Maria and Brandon Reed; Brentley Stevens, son of Dustin and Christy Stevens; Aubree Simmons, granddaughter of Terry and Barbara Simmons; Jackson Zumbrunnen, son of James and Amber Zumbrunnen; and Scout Avery Smith, daughter of Dan and Ginny Smith. The children were introduced by Kendal Straub, also pictured.
Fairfax Fair Parade
Fairfax Marching Pride
The Fairfax Marching Pride marched down Main Street in the Fairfax Fair Parade. It was their first showing of the new school year.
Fairfax Optimist Club
The Fairfax Optimist Club hit ping pong balls out to the paradegoers so that they could exchange them for prizes. Pictured is the Optimist’s youngest member, Cowen O’Riley.
Moila Shriners participate in parade
The Moila Shrine members drove their personal vehicles, as well as the much-loved hot sand buggies in the parade.
Tarkio Tech touts class opportunities
Patrick Wheeler braved the intense heat and geared up in welding hat and gloves for the Tarkio Tech float.
Stealing Home
Alex Wintz of Fairfax with Stealing Home used his baseball skills to throw out fistfuls of candy.
Classics of the parade
Jeff and Shannon Jobes of Fairfax drove their 1965 Chevy Nova in the fair parade.
Fair smiles
Nancy Harrington grabs a handful of candy to throw out to parade-goers.
Old-time tractor cruise
Miles Smith of Fairfax takes his tractor for a cruise down Main Street in the fair parade. Tractors were set up at the Harry Combs Memorial Tractor Show at the football field for spectators to take a look before the parade began.
Fun and food at the Fairfax Fair
Troop 88 Boy Scouts Silas Lester and Owen Vette raised the flag during opening ceremonies.
Julie Koop, top, and Dana Tracy, above, organized the Junior Miss Fairfax and Miss Fairfax contests. They also served as emcees, asking questions during interviews of the contestants.
Contestants in the Miss Fairfax and Junior Miss Fairfax contests were: Amelia Larson, daughter of Matt and Theresa Larson; Piper Morris, daughter of Billy and Kelly Morris; Kendal Straub, daughter of Justin and Alicia Straub; Avery Fast, daughter of David and Amy Fast; Caroline Larson, daughter of Matt and Theresa Larson; and Brenna Kingery, daughter of Ryan and Jill Kingery.
Ann Wensel holds a $100 bill, raffled by the American Legion Auxiliary, while Bill Slaughter gets some help with the raffle drawing at the end of the evening on Saturday. Nash Stevens, Scout Smith, and Kendal Straub helped draw names.
The Stealing Home crew brings their tickets to draw a winner.
Megan Miller and her children stopped by the Kiwanis Club stand for a tasty treat.
Dawn Bradfield and her grandkids take a ride on the S.S. Harry Combs during the Fairfax Fair.
Annette Kaplan enjoys a plate of nachos as she visits with Judy Clark during the entertainment.
Mayor Ryan Kingery was glistening as he and Jill made funnel cakes for the Fairfax Baseball Field Improvement Project. The heat index was over 100°.
Little Mr. Fairfax Nash Stevens gets something cool to drink at the fair.
J.R. and Pete Cooper chat with Phillip Cooper and Nikki Parshall at the Fairfax Fair.
Norma Bradfield and Amy Sefrit enjoy a cup of ice cream as they listen to the Southeast Nebraska Community Band.
