Allamakee County Fair hosts Fair Queen, Little Miss contests again this year

Story courtesy of the Waukon Standard; submitted at the request of the Allamakee County Fair Board

The Allamakee County Fair will be hosting a Allamakee County Fair Queen Contest and an Allamakee County Fair Little Miss contest once again this year.

The pageantry of the Allamakee County Fair will remain at its new level created just last year, 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 eight Allamakee County young ladies, will take place Wednesday, July 16 at 5 p.m. at the Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon to help kick off the 172nd Allamakee County Fair, running July 16-20 in Waukon.

Three Allamakee County young ladies, ranging in age from 17 to 18 years old, are vying for the title of 2025 Allamakee County Fair Queen. Those three candidates seeking this year’s Queen crown include Alyssa Connelly of Harpers Ferry, Breelyn Dahlstrom of New Albin, and Isabelle Mettille of Lansing. 

Perhaps providing a stepping stone to that Fair Queen pageantry is a new contest established last year for those younger in age, as five girls ranging in age from eight to nine years old are seeking the title of Allamakee County Fair Little Miss. Those five Little Miss hopefuls include Rayna Collins of Harpers Ferry, Everly Cota of Waukon, Myla Evanson of Waterville, Mallory Kurth of Lansing, and Kenleigh Ness of Waukon. Their photos and brief introductions begin at right on this same page.

The crowning of each of this year’s contest winners will take place Wednesday, July 16, beginning at 5 p.m. as part of its own celebration 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 was implemented within the past couple 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 Bailey Davidson with Idelle and Co. is doing make-up for the queen candidates.

Hello Sunshine in Waukon will be providing gifts for the newly-crowned Queen, Princess and Little Miss, and Silver Laine Co. in Waukon is offering a shopping spree for the newly-crowned Queen. Sycamore Floral in Waukon is donating three bouquets and discounted corsages for all contestants, and Elliott Jewelers in Waukon is donating crowns and a ring for the Queen.

Another new aspect recently introduced and continuing into this year’s Fair Queen participation is a pie auction. Each candidate will provide a pie to be auctioned off during the Wednesday, July 16 Truck and Tractor Pull event and another to be auctioned off during the Saturday, July 19 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 2026 Fair Improvements Project.

Bios:

Alyssa Connelly is the 18-year-old daughter of Darcy and Daniel Connelly of Harpers Ferry. She graduated this past spring with the Class of 2025 from Waukon High School, where she was involved with the varsity golf team, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), FFA, and Student Council, and was also selected to the academic Honor Roll and the Waukon High School chapter of National Honor Society.

Outside of school, Alyssa is involved in a variety of activities through St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, the Allamakee County Fair, Robey Memorial Library in Waukon, and with the high school FFA program by volunteering her time whenever it is needed. Among the honors, awards and scholarships she has received, Alyssa has played to top-15 All-Conference golf honors in two of her varsity seasons, and she has also been awarded scholarships by the Allamakee Scholarship Fund Volunteer and Mail-A-Thon programs, Kerndt Brothers Savings Bank, Harpers Ferry Boosters, Gundersen Lutheran Clinic, Bryce M. David Memorial Fund, The Farming Game Challenge, Arlin Falck Foundation and Frank & Goldie Hager Memorial Fund.

In her spare time, Alyssa enjoys her hobbies of playing golf, making jewelry, and helping wherever she can. She plans to attend Luther College in Decorah this fall. In the next five years, Alyssa plans to graduate from college and have a good job that she likes in a mathematic-type field.

Breelyn Dahlstrom, age 17, is the daughter of Nick and Lana Dahlstrom of New Albin. She will be a senior at Waukon High School when school resumes this fall, and she has participated in volleyball, Student Council and the Junior Prom Committee while in school, as well as being selected as a member of the Waukon High School chapter of National Honor Society.

Breelyn is also very active outside of her school activities. She is involved in 4-H, where she currently serves as her club vice president and is a member of the 4-H County Council for Allamakee County 4-H. She is also actively involved in her church, youth group, and serving as treasurer for the Youth Fellowship organization she is involved with. She is a member of the Triple R Saddle Club, Root River Saddle Club, and the Upper Iowa Saddle Club, where she was selected as the 2024 Queen.

Among the many honors she has achieved both in and outside of school, she has earned a varsity letter in track and volleyball, and was inducted into the Waukon High School chapter of the National Honor Society as a high school junior. Her lengthy 4-H honors include earning the 4-H Record Book Completion Award for seven years as a Junior, Intermediate and Senior 4-H member, and also receiving 4-H Club Officer Awards while serving as Historian, Reporter, Vice President and Secretary.

Breelyn has also won 4-H Project Awards in the Horse and Pony, Home Improvement, Meat Goat, Photography, Rabbit, and Clothing & Fashion categories, in addition to being selected as Junior Livestock Champion and Intermediate Livestock Champion. She has also earned Senior Achievement honors in Leadership, Animal Science Round-Up/State Conference, Livestock Meat Goat Champion, and Citizenship.

Among Breelyn’s hobbies are school and club volleyball, where she has played for both the Heat and Vortex volleyball clubs. She also enjoys showing horses, hanging out with friends and being with her family, as well as working with her animals.

Breelyn’s future plans include attending Western Wisconsin Technical College in La Crosse, WI for the Medical Assistant program for one year. If she were to then get accepted into the Radiology Technology program, she would continue with school for two years. During the summer, she would plan to get a job as a medical assistant and work. After she graduates from college, she would like to come back to Waukon and work nearby as a radiology technician.

Isabelle Mettille is 17 years old and the daughter of Ben and Erin Mettille of Lansing. She will be a member of the senior class at Kee High School in Lansing this fall, where she participates as a member of the volleyball, basketball, track & field, and softball teams, and is involved in individual and large group speech competition, choir, National Honor Society, Student Council, and serves as her Class Vice President.

Outside of her involvement in school activities, Isabelle also serves as president of the Lansing Legends 4-H club, as well as vice president of the Lansing FFA chapter. She is also involved as a lector and choir member at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing.

Among the honors Isabelle has earned are multiple varsity letters in all four high school sports she participates in, including volleyball, basketball, track & field, and softball. She also served as the 2024-2025 Allamakee County Beef Queen.

Isabelle’s hobbies include working, spending time with her animals, taking naps, babysitting, and spending too much money at Aztec Parlor. She also enjoys playing Euchre and singing.

Her future plans include both short- and long-term outlooks for what lies ahead for her. Within the next year she intends to enjoy her senior year at Kee High School, graduate with as many scholarships as possible, and get accepted into a college (undecided at this point in time) for Nursing. Five years from now, she would like to have her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing completed and hopefully be working in the pediatrics field. She would also like to own as many animals as she can afford, travel to Germany to see Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany,  and make many new friends along the way.

Rayna Collins is the eight-year-old daughter of Samantha and Ryan Collins of Harpers Ferry, and she recently completed second grade.

Favorite thing about the Allamakee County Fair: I love all the animals because I love seeing them get shown.

What makes you a good friend? I am kind to others.

What do you want to be when you grow up? I would like to be a teacher.

If you could show or make one thing for the fair, what would it be? I would show one of my horses.

Everly Cota is the eight-year-old daughter of Brett and Nelly Cota of Waukon, and she recently completed second grade.

Favorite thing about the Allamakee County Fair: The rides because they can make you dizzy and it can make you laugh.

What makes you a good friend? I am nice, I am helpful, and I am smart.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Work at Freedom Bank.

If you could show or make one thing for the fair, what would it be? I would make pies.

Myla Evanson is the eight-year-old daughter of Amy and Elliott Evanson of Waterville, and she recently completed second grade.

Favorite thing about the Allamakee County Fair: Seeing all of the different animals because they are cute.

What makes you a good friend? I am nice and I share.

What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher or a farmer.

If you could show or make one thing for the fair, what would it be? My bunny.

Mallory Kurth is the nine-year-old daughter of Jessica and Adam Kurth of Lansing, and she recently completed third grade.

Favorite thing about the Allamakee County Fair: I love the rodeo because it’s fun to watch. I like to watch the barrel racers.

What makes you a good friend? I am a good friend because I include others, am kind, helpful, and a good listener.

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a teacher.

If you could show or make one thing for the fair, what would it be? I would show a horse.

Kenleigh Ness is the nine-year-old daughter of Tony and Brittany Beneke of Waukon and the late Dakota Ness, and she recently completed second grade. 

Favorite thing about the Allamakee County Fair: I like the rides because they are fun and they make kids happy.

What makes you a good friend? I am nice and I am fun to play with.

What do you want to be when you grow up? A cook.

If you could show or make one thing for the fair, what would it be? A cow.