2025 Randolph Fair opens with Campbell and Zinz crowned king and queen

The Portage County Randolph Fair’s grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the main gate of the county fairgrounds 11 a.m. Tuesday to kick off the near week-long festivities.

Members of Ravenna’s VFW Post 1055 raised a U.S. flag while the Rootstown High School Marching Band played the Star Spangled Banner.

The fair fruit department superintendents Don and Dolores May performed the ribbon cutting this year. 

Afterwards, the crowning of the junior fair king and queen took place in the Hubbard building.

This year’s selection for king and queen are Kendrick Campbell and Daisy Zinz. Campbell is the vice president of the Portage County Shepherds 4-H Club, and Zinz has been a member of the junior fair board for four years.

First runner up king and queen are Dylan Evans and Claire Dillner. Second runner up king and queen are Hunter Roosa and Jenna Canale. 

The big draw of the fair’s opening day are the junior fair events, such as the market goat show and the horse ground roping, halter and trail in hand competition.

Murphy said there’s a lot to love about competing in trail in hand.

“For trail and hand, they have different obstacles, and a lot of times they have this gate where you have to go in, open up the rope, go through it, close it, and then you have to do some trotting, pivoting, and there’s some side passing depending on what level you’re on,” she said. “I like seeing the things that my horse can do, other than just contesting.”

This year’s winner of the market goat show was Lanie Brabson from Atwater and her goat Calvin. Brabson has been doing market goat shows for over nine years and has taken first before. After almost a decade of raising market goats, she’s accustomed to seeing them go to market, but she said she’ll still be sad to see Calvin go to market on Saturday. 

The fair closes Sunday. View the full schedule here.