TRUMBULL EVENT Beauty pageant returning to county fair

Fairgrounds and parking lots have been improved to reduce muddy conditions.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
BAZETTA -- The Trumbull County Fair is reviving its beauty pageant after a two-decade hiatus.
Miss Trumbull County Fair will be named on the second day of the 158th annual event, which runs this year from July 12-18.
"The beauty pageant is the hottest thing going on," said fair board president Richard Roscoe. "Everyone is calling. They have daughters and granddaughters who want to be in the pageant."
The fair board will accept the first 20 applications from eligible Trumbull County girls between age 15 and 17 who are unmarried and have no children, Roscoe said.
About a half-dozen already have applied, he added.
The pageant will include a formal dress competition -- no swimsuits -- and contestants will have to respond to two questions posed by judges.
So far, the only confirmed judge is county Commissioner Dan Polivka, but others are being sought.
The fair board has gone ahead full throttle with its decision to headline motorsports events, with a motocross and school bus race, a tractor pull and two demolition derbies all planned for the main arena.
Fireworks will follow the second demolition derby July 18.
"We also have many new exhibits and local entertainers," said fair director Darlene Brooks.
One of the new attractions will be an animal show by trainer Sam Mazzola, featuring the bear mascot for agricultural equipment manufacturer New Holland.
Improvements
Over the past year, the fair board has made a number of improvements to make fairgrounds more resistant to heavy rain.
Gravel was added to the entranceways to both parking lots to prevent mudslides from reoccurring, and the lots have been leveled.
The midways were repaved and enlarged this year, with pavement added to spots where children enter and leave rides. More gravel was laid along paths in the 4-H section of the grounds and between barns to discourage puddles.
Over the past year, the board also carried out $20,000 worth of electrical improvements in midway and camping areas, director Terry Evans said.