Wheatland’s Fenske crowned Fairest of the Fair

Lauren Feltner, the 2015 Fairest of the Fair, crowns Wheatland's Madison Fenske as the 2016 Fairest of the Fair Wednesday at the Kenosha County Fairgrounds (Earlene Frederick/The Report).
Lauren Feltner, the 2015 Fairest of the Fair, crowns Wheatland’s Madison Fenske as the 2016 Fairest of the Fair Wednesday at the Kenosha County Fairgrounds (Earlene Frederick/The Report).

Madison Fenske, former Wheatland Willing Worker, attends Parkside

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

Before Madison Fenske could show animals at the Kenosha County Fair, the Wheatland native and Westosha Central graduate already adored the annual event, and on Wednesday, she was named the 2016 Fairest of the Fair.

The new Fairest of the Fair, crowned by the departing Lauren Feltner, said it is an honor and wants to see the Fair thrive.

“It is awesome, it was a tough competition for the Fairest,” she said. “It is so dear to my heart and I want my kids to be able to come and show their animals.”

Fenske, 20, stated her brothers – Mitchell, Michael and Marcus – and parents Mike and Mary were instrumental in ingraining the love of the fair at a young age.

“My oldest brother was already showing pigs, so I was already here, all the time,” said Fenske. “I literally grew up here.”

The new Fairest of the Fair did it all, from showing pigs and turkeys to crafting and baking.

But, Fenke’s most fond memory was winning showmanship for pigs, and felt the rewards were greater than any other.

“When I won showmanship, that was bigger than winning grand champion, overall,” Fenske stated.

However, Fenske’s memories will soon expand after she received her crown Wednesday.

As part of her role, she hopes to steer the fair back in the right direction.

“I want to bring people back out to the Fair, it definitely has been a little lower in attendance (in recent years),” Fenske said. “The exhibitors and I want to promote the Fair to make it back to what it used to be.”

Fenske’s mother, Mary, believes her daughter has the skills to make it happen.

“She has it in her heart to do a good job, and keep the Fair going in the right direction,” Mary Fenske said.

The new experience, Madison Fenske said, gives her an opportunity to view the Kenosha County Fair from a different angle after she graduated from the Wheatland Willing Workers 4-H Club a year ago.

“I am so glad that I could enjoy a new experience and see a different side of it,” she said.

While Madison Fenske looks forward to promoting the Kenosha County Fair, Mary stated her daughter has always been modest when discussing her past accomplishments at both the Fair and her 4-H Club.

“She has many accomplishments, but is too humbled to say anything about it, and about the things that she did,” Mary Fenske said.

Off the Fairgrounds, Madison Fenske dedicates her time in the community, serving as a waitress and junior golf teacher at Twin Lakes Country Club.

She uses her experience from her time with the Lady Falcons golf squad, where she reached the WIAA Division 1 sectionals as a senior to teach junior golfers.

When she is not teaching youth golf lessons and serving customers at Twin Lakes Country Club, Fenske is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where she studies Communications with an International Studies minor.

Other finalists candidates for the 2016 Fairest of the Fair were Natalie LaForge and Michelle Knapp.

The three finalists advanced from a pool of six semi finalists that included Melissa Capra, Amanda Hutchings and Abby Diedrich.

Additional applicants were Madelyn Skalecki, Morgan Rau, Brianna Plunkett, Katelyn Herried and Tiffany Ouwerkerk.


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