By Crystal Hayduk
With more than 200 door prizes at stake, the ladies turned out early, standing in line well before the doors were scheduled to open at 8:30 on Aug. 24 for Ladies Day at the Chelsea Community Fair.
Once inside the Multi-Purpose Arena, hot coffee and muffins were available to chase away the early morning chill.
A number of women were decked out in special hats and other finery to match this year’s Kentucky Derby theme. Carrie Trinkle, co-superintendent, said she and the other two superintendents, Michelle DeFant and Chrissy Hilberer, brainstormed the Kentucky Derby idea, thinking it would be a fun excuse to wear hats. Chelsea Village Flowers donated red roses for the attendees as a nod to the “Run for the Roses.”
Lisa Haynes and her sister and aunt waited patiently for the program to begin. “There’s always good entertainment and nice prizes,” said Haynes. “It’s great to just get out with other women for the morning.”
Haynes and her sister have been attending Ladies Day for years with their mother. She passed away last fall, so they keenly miss her presence with them this year; and are thankful for the many lovely memories made together at the fair.
Katie Wickman perfectly sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” to open the morning. She also provided the musical entertainment during the program, playing the guitar and singing original compositions: “Fly High” and “Humble Home.”
The audience enjoyed a group participation trivia game, and the traditional fashion show sponsored by Vogels and Fosters with modeling by the 2017 Fair Queen Savanna Burchett, the current queen candidates, and their chosen family members.
Burchett amazed the audience with her aerial silks, acrobatics and dance performed while suspended in the air with fabric.
Mary Tobin, homemaker superintendent, announced the winners of the homemaking contest. Exhibitors 18 and older compete for Champion Homemaker; ages 17 and under compete for Champion Junior Homemaker.
Contestants register for the award and earn points for prizes won for their exhibits entered in at least five of 10 departments: agriculture exhibits, antiques, arts and hobbies, canning, floriculture, food preparation, machine sewing, needlework, quilting, and photography.
Susie Simpson was crowned Champion Homemaker with 114 points. Simpson, who is a unit coordinator at St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea Hospital, has four children, and three grandchildren. She has randomly entered exhibits over the years, depending on whether she had time to enter them based on her work schedule and family events.
“I wasn’t working last weekend, and I had the projects that I’d worked on this year, so I figured I might as well give it a try,” she said.
The Homemaker Runner-up was Lauren Baker, with 94 points. Baker is the daughter of Sarah and Stephen Baker and a 2018 graduate of Chelsea High School. She will be studying radiography at Washtenaw Community College this fall. “I ran for fair queen last year and had a great time entering exhibits, so I decided I would do it again this year since I had time before starting college,” she said.
Makenna Kern, 17, daughter of Jill and Kevin Kern, was crowned Junior Homemaker with 492 points. She completed homeschooling this year and plans to join the United States Navy next spring.
Kern has been entering exhibits since she was only six years old, but this is her first run in the homemaker’s program.
The Junior Homemaker Runner-up was Avery Beeman with 158 points. Beeman, the daughter of Jennifer and Lucky Beeman, is a seventh grader at Grass Lake Middle School. This was her second year entering exhibits in the fair. Tobin said, “Her mother told me it was Avery’s idea [to run] and once she sets her mind to something, she makes it happen.”
Trinkle extended her thanks and appreciation to the many Chelsea businesses who sponsor Ladies Day and provide the wonderful door prizes.
“We could not have Ladies Day without them, and we ask that the community would please give them their business and thank them for the support,” she said.
