- March 20, 2025
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Fifth grader Grace Welden (front), won the grand champion dairy goat award. She is pictured here with her goat Paddy Whack and three generations of family members involved in agriculture: her grandfather Chuck Johnston, aunt Sarah Herlihy, brother Eli Welden, 5, mother Katie Johnston, father JR Welden, grandmother Peggy Johnston and aunt Jessica Duncan.
Photo by Ian SwabyMonroe Gold, 5, rides a race car ride.
Photo by Ian SwabyRaleigh Downing, 6, catches a toy shark.
Photo by Ian SwabyEmma Baird, 7, and her mom Sarah Anderson, explore while carrying some colorful new purchases from the fair.
Photo by Ian Swaby10th grader Delvin Evans, 9th grader Zaccheus Weeks and 9th grader Ashtyn Law-Johnson of 4-H grew plants for the agricultural display.
Photo by Ian SwabyInti Tambaco of Native Winds plays the pan flute.
Photo by Ian SwabySarasota High School senior Briseyda Montiel-Torres won first place in her division as well as the best in show award in the fair's art exhibition. She spent two to four months on the project. "This year, creating that was a lot of work, and now that it's very valuable, and it's up on the front my last year as a senior, it feels really nice," she said.
Photo by Ian SwabyLarry Sandefur visits Native Winds.
Photo by Ian SwabyAralynn Santos-Meyer, 2, and her mom Rhiannon Santos-Meyer meet Jimmy the goat.
Photo by Ian SwabySarasota High School senior Stormi McMenamin, the Florida Virtual School Future Farmers of America chapter representative, and Andrew Hopper, who was on the senior level in the dairy goat competition, stand by fourth grader Sofia Rose Peric as she sings the national anthem.
Photo by Ian SwabyColton Kuykendall of the intermediate competition walks with Confection.
Photo by Ian SwabyEighth grader Olivia Esenwein poses with Milky Way
Photo by Ian SwabyAndrew Hopper of the senior level walks with Tristan, while Jason Henry of the senior level walks with Betsy.
Photo by Ian SwabyAdeline Earl, of the junior level, walks Karat.
Photo by Ian SwabyWyatt Johnston of the senior level holds Bubbles.
Photo by Ian SwabyJason Henry of the senior competition handles Betsy.
Photo by Ian SwabyColton Kuykendall, of the intermediate level walks Bitter Sweet while Andrew Hopper of the senior level walks Daisy.
Photo by Ian SwabyPinson Skyhigh "Ivory" walks with eighth grader Kaleen Callahan during the costume contest.
Photo by Ian SwabyGrace Welden of the junior level walks with Paddy Whack.
Photo by Ian SwabyMadison King, 13, and her cow Pickles, make their way around the arena during the costume contest.
Photo by Ian SwabySecond grader Ava O'Mahony walks with her guinea pig Lock during the costume contest.
Photo by Ian SwabyLuca Passalacqua, 7, and Emmitt Questel, 8, meet Oscar the robot.
Photo by Ian SwabyGilligan the capuchin monkey, of Banana Derby, makes a lap in a race.
Photo by Ian SwabyMatheus Siqueira tends to one of the seals.
Photo by Ian SwabyPaul Meador starts his blacksmith's fire.
Photo by Ian SwabyThe Sarasota County Fair is a longstanding tradition, including for Grace Welden's family.
Her mother Katie Johnston grew up showing animals there along with her two sisters, and together with JR Welden, who is now her husband and Grace's father.
Johnston's parents Chuck and Peggy Johnston are beef cattle ranchers in Sarasota since 1979.
Now, as Grace, a homeschool fifth grader, made her first foray into showing animals in 2025, it resulted in her receiving the grand champion dairy goat award on March 15.
"It's really fun doing it," Welden said. "(The goats) finally get to know you, then they will listen to you, then they will know their name and stuff," she said.
Johnston called it "kind of a full circle moment for us as parents now."
"Whenever I was showing, we showed together, and now that we have Grace, now she's showing, so we had a 20-year break, but we're back at it," she said.
The Sarasota County Fair is being held from March 14-23, and also features rides, food, live entertainment, art projects by community members and more.
