In the following few weeks, five finalists will seek to be Southwest Washington Fair favorites in Lewis County’s friendliest face-off.
The fair office on Thursday night released the list of the top five girls in the running for Little Miss Friendly, the “Living Logo” of the county fair. An 8- to 10-year-old adorned in a Prussian blue cape, she embodies the fun and friendly atmosphere of fair week.
Her duties don’t end at the fairgrounds, however. Little Miss Friendly will hold her title for a year, appearing in parades and other community events before another full week of fair attendance following the passing of her cape.
The ultimate titleholder, who will earn the cape from 2022 Little Miss Friendly Emma Britton, of Chehalis, will be announced on the first day of the fair, Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 6 p.m. on the Saloon Stage. Attendance to the ceremony is free with admission to the fair.
Fighting for the title this year will be Aria Hoffman, of Grand Mound, Clara Hansen, of Napavine, Emma Elder, of Chehalis, Kimber Serl, of Chehalis, and Riot Anderson, of Chehalis. The girls are selected through a strict application and interview process, which usually sees more than a dozen entrants.
The program, sponsored by the Centralia-Chehalis Kiwanis Club with prizes from several other local organizations, takes “a great deal of dedication for the young lady and her family,” write the program coordinators on the Little Miss Friendly application.
“While serving as Little Miss Friendly, she will wear the official sash and cape, weather permitting, at all times when representing the fair,” the application states. “Serving as Little Miss Friendly takes a lot of time. It will be very busy, but a lot of fun and a great learning experience.”
In the order they were sent by the fair office, following is information on each finalist from their applications. The application only asks for the name of one parent, so only some of the finalists have both parents’ names listed.
• Aria Hoffman, 10, attends Grand Mound Elementary School. Her mother is Sabrina Hoffman.
Aria would like to be Little Miss Friendly because “I think I could make people happy,” she wrote on her application. “I love seeing smiles and I could be busy instead of on electronics. Also, it would be good to get more confidence.”
Aria’s interests are singing, art, Lego, reading, traveling and cooking.
• Clara Hansen, 10, attends Napavine Elementary School. Her parents are listed as Micah and Rebecca Hansen.
Clara wants to be Little Miss Friendly because, she wrote, “I would enjoy the social events, and I want to prove to myself that I can do hard things.”
Clara lists her interests on her application as reading, piano, baking, arts and crafts, and writing.
• Emma Elder, 9, attends Orin Smith Elementary School in Chehalis. Her mother is Jessica Elder.
“I would like to be Little Miss Friendly because when someone smiles at me it makes me feel good, and I want to make other people feel good, too,” Emma wrote in her application.
Her interests include reading and playing sports.
• Kimber Serl, 8, also attends Orin Smith Elementary School in Chehalis. Her parents are listed as Amanda and William Serl.
“I would like to be Little Miss Friendly because I love the fair and making people smile,” Kimber wrote in her application.
Her interests include dance, art and making new friends.
• Riot Anderson, 10, is homeschooled and lives in Chehalis. Her parents are listed as Paul and Ashli Anderson.
Riot, when asked why she would like to be Little Miss Friendly, wrote, “I care about others and want to help everyone feel loved and accepted. I love meeting new people, making new friends. I am always positive, friendly and like trying new things.”
Learn more about the Southwest Washington Fair at https://southwestwashingtonfair.org/.
