Hardacre, a 2021 Global Impact STEM Academy graduate, will be a junior in college. She also won the title of Ohio Fairs’ Queen, and she serves in the military.
She has spent her time as fair queen traveling to other Ohio County fairs, helping young members of the fair, meeting other fair queens, and volunteering for various organizations.
“She has not missed a beat in any of them,” said Blair. “She’s leaving very big shoes to fill.”
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
In January in Columbus, Hardacre was named Ohio Fairs’ Queen for 2023, a competition involving all 94 county fairs.
She has seven part-time jobs, is a member of the Ohio Army National Guard as a specialist and plumber, works on her family’s farm, and is on the animal science and pre-vet track at the University of Findlay.
“It’s been a great opportunity to get out and meet people, network and form lifelong friendships,” Hardacre said.
Hardacre is the third in her family to become Clark County Fair queen, following after her sister, Emma, who was fair queen in 2018, and her mother, Jennifer, who was fair queen in 1991.
“I guess you can sort of say that it was a little bit of a legacy for me, something that I always wanted to continue,” she said.
One of her biggest accomplishments as fair queen has been putting together a new queen room to provide a designated space for the fair queens in the Youth Building at the fairgrounds.
“Watching them (the candidates) grow and bloom into the young women has been really fun, and I can’t wait to see who will win,” said Hardacre before Friday’s queen contest.
She has been in FFA for the past four years, and she has been involved with 4-H for the last 12 years, showing cows, turkeys and pigs at the Clark County Fair.
She is passionate about getting younger people involved with agriculture and 4-H and giving them advice on how to grow as members.
In addition to all her involvements and accomplishments, Hardacre’s personality is what makes her stand out, Blair said.
“By the time a meeting is over, everyone in the room knows her,” he said. “Everybody knows Rebekah because she has so much personality. We’re going to miss her a lot, and we’re really proud of her.”
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