East County student relishes time as queen

EAST COUNTY — Sarah Adams never dreamed the first pageant she entered would be one in which she took home a crown.

But, as the Manatee County Fair opened Jan. 17 through Jan. 27, Adams found herself crowned Junior Miss Manatee County Fair, a title she won Jan. 12 during the annual fair pageant.

The Braden River High School sophomore immediately stepped into her role representing the Manatee County Fair, alongside Miss Manatee County Fair Noelle Beauchamp, Little Miss Madison Barter and Mini Miss Alyssa Pritchett, during the fair and in the coming year.

The experience, Adams said, has been life changing. Not only did she gain valuable interviewing skills and other skills from the pageant, but she also mingled with fairgoers. With a vision to become a psychologist, the ability to speak comfortably with people will be important, she said.

“It’s going to stick with me forever,” Adams said of the experience, noting she also learned about her facial expressions and posture. “It taught me a lot.”

Adams, 15, loves going to the fair, particularly to watch her friends compete in the livestock shows. Adams also competes. This year she’s showing her pig, Snoopy, and her cow/calf pair, Bella and Olivia.

She had to be at the fair nearly every day to feed and care for her livestock. Between those responsibilities, her role as a fair queen and keeping up with homework, Adams admits the two-week fair was exhausting at times. However, she didn’t mind.

“When I have a passion for something, I don’t worry about what needs to get done,” she said. “I make a point to make everything happen as fast as I can.”

She also spent plenty of time with her parents, Scott and Teresa Adams. She and her dad made sure to visit their favorite fair food spot, Mark’s.

“They have the best corn dogs I’ve ever had, and I don’t normally like corn dogs,” Adams said. “And Susie Q’s sweet tea (is my favorite), hands down.”

Although Adams cannot compete for a fair queen title next year, she plans to compete again, as a senior, for the Miss Manatee County Fair title — one that requires her to be at least 17 years old. In the interim, she said, she plans to enter the Miss Desoto Heritage Festival Pageant next year.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

JUNIOR MISS COUNTY FAIR
Sarah Adams
Age: 15
School: Braden River High School
Favorite movie: “Titanic”
Favorite subject: English
Favorite food: Spaghetti
Favorite fair ride: Freak Out and ReMix