Love reigns supreme as Fayette County Fair Queen
Garrett Neese The 2024 Fayette County Fair Queen Haylee Bill, left, hugs her successor Olivia Love, 19, of Scottdale. As the fair princess in 2024, Love served alongside Bill.
Olivia Love was crowned the new Fayette County Fair Queen after Thursday night’s pageant.
Love, 19, of Scottdale, had spent the last year serving as Fayette County Princess.
Love’s hands flew to her mouth in disbelief as her name was announced. Outgoing Queen Haylee Bill pulled her in for a tearful embrace before crowning her with the tiara and sash.
“There’s truly nothing I can say,” Love said. “It’s just an ‘Oh my God’ moment. I’m so grateful.”
Succeeding Love as Fayette County Fair Princess is Caroline Smith, 19, of Smithfield.
Kendra Smalley, 16, of Connellsville was chosen as Miss Congeniality.
In front of a standing-room-only crowd, the contestants read essays on what the fair means to them, and also answered an impromptu question about what theme they would pick for this year’s fair.
Love’s experience has brought her strong friendships, community and a new talent for public speaking.
“If you would have asked me three years ago to get up on stage and talk for five minutes about the fair, I don’t know what I would have said,” she said. “And now being the fair queen is just the most surreal thing ever. I can’t believe it. It’s a learning experience, and you learn something new every day.”
Love will have a full year of activities ahead of her, advocating for Fayette County agriculture throughout the state, including at the state fair convention in Hershey.
As for the rest of the week, the new queen is eagerly awaiting the dairy show, where she’s an annual competitor, and watching her brother in the market steer category. The 4-H Olympics will be another highlight.
She’s also looking forward to Saturday’s tractor pull; she was a little busy during Thursday’s.
Her father came directly from Thursday’s pull, still wearing his official shirt, to watch her be crowned.