Racine County Crowned Fairest of the Fair

Who's the Fairest of the Fair?

Racine County's own Richelle Kastenson!

Kastenson, 21, representing the Racine County Fair, was crowned 2012 Fairest of the Fairs. The excitement and pride were clear on her face.

Daughter of Rick and Julie Kastenson of Union Grove, Richelle attends the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she is a senior. She is studying elementary education with a minor in special education. Following graduation, she hopes to complete half of her student teaching in Sweden with the goal of it making her a more diverse and well-rounded teacher. She also plans to earn her master’s degree in the future.

Kastenson has been a member of the Racine County 4-H for 14 years, and during her time as a 4-H intern created a 4-H Roadshow, which was a program teaching different urban youth organizations about 4-H. Her leadership has also been exhibited as the Racine County 4-H Ambassador Advisor through which she mentors a group of 15 youth through monthly meetings, participation in community activities, assisting with a multitude of 4-H programs and hosting a leadership conference for four different counties. Richelle is also familiar with the Wisconsin State Fair where she was an intern for the agriculture department in the summer of 2011.

The 2012 Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs was selected during the 89th Annual Wisconsin Association of Fairs Convention taking place this week in the Wisconsin Dells. A field of 35 County Fairest of the Fair contestants competed for the coveted Fairest of the Fairs crown. The Fairest of the Fairs was announced on Wednesday evening and provided an exciting conclusion to the annual convention. 

The Fairest of the Fairs will represent the 76 Wisconsin county, district, and state fairs in 2012. The duties of her one-year term begin immediately with the conclusion of her duties at the end of the Wisconsin Association of Fairs Convention in January 2013. Fairest’ s responsibilities include traveling to the county, district and state fairs throughout the state as the spokesperson for the Wisconsin Association of Fairs, and she will as serve as the official hostess of the 2012 Wisconsin State Fair, presented by U.S. Cellular, August 2 through August 12. Throughout her term, the Fairest of the Fairs will make appearances, conduct promotions, work with media and travel to fairs to promote the educational, social and economic importance of Wisconsin’s Fair Industry.

Kastenson was selected as Fairest of the Fairs from a field of impressive young women, and replaces the 2011 Fairest of the Fairs, Alexis Nickelotti of Vernon County. The Fairest of the Fairs was chosen by a panel of three judges representing the fair, media/communications, and agriculture industries.