As the Southwest Washington Fair prepares to open, the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners welcomed the five finalists hoping to serve as the living logo.
Established in 1968, the Little Miss Friendly program began to help market the fair and showcase how the community defined Southwest Washington's “friendliness.” Little Miss Friendly is the official hostess of the Southwest Washington Fair, which will run from Aug. 13 to 18.
This year’s finalists are:
• Justice Barton, 8, of Chehalis. Her parents are Michael and Abby Barton.
• Avery Butler, 8, of Chehalis. Her parents are Chris and Kassey Butler.
• Avery Mordick, 9, of Chehalis. Her parents are Scott and Rachel Mordick.
• Kimber Serl, 9, of Chehalis. Her parents are William and Amanda Serl.
• Hadleigh Westover, 8, of Morton. Her parents are Nick and Shaleesa Westover.
Barton told the commissioners she wants to be Little Miss Friendly because she wants “everyone to have friends.”
“Without friends, it would be boring,” Barton told the commissioners Tuesday. “Friends cheer you on, and I can be everyone’s friend.”
Butler told the commissioners she hoped to be Little Miss Friendly because she “wants to meet new people.”
If selected, Mordick said she wanted to “support the community and meet new people.”
Serl told the commissioners she wants to be Little Miss Friendly because she has a pig, and she loves “smiling and inviting people to the fair and the food.”
Westover said she’s met several other Little Miss Friendly’s, and the role seemed “like a lot of fun.”
“I think it’s a lot of fun to do it,” Westover said.
As she completes her year as Little Miss Friendly, 2023 winner Clara Hansen told the commissioners she enjoyed hanging out with the other contestants.
“My favorite part was probably hanging out with the final five,” Hansen told the commissioners. “Like this year’s final five right now, and last year when I was in the final five when I wasn’t Little Miss Friendly yet, I really liked that.”
The Little Miss Friendly caping ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. on Aug. 13 on the Saloon Stage where one of the five finalists will be selected to represent the Southwest Washington Fair.
Learn more about the fair at https://southwestwashingtonfair.org/.
