At the Iowa State Fair, Belle Werner can usually be found exhibiting the crops she and her family grow on their Tama County farm, something she’s done for years, following in the footsteps of her grandparents.
But this year was a little more glamorous.
Werner, 18, of Toledo, was crowned the Iowa State Fair Queen on Saturday, Aug. 15. She traded her Tama County fair title for the Iowa State Fair’s crown and a large purple sash emblazoned with “2026 Iowa State Fair Queen.”
“I was shocked,” Werner said. “Just to be crowned the State Fair Queen and be the face of the fair is something that means a lot to me.”
In the days leading up to her coronation, she didn’t expect to win. Instead, she went into the pageant “with the idea of making friends. I was there competing alongside my friends.”
The Iowa State Fair Queen is selected based on personality, attitude, awareness, leadership, citizenship, contributions to the community, overall appearance, charm and poise, according to the fair’s website. At Benton Community High School, from which Werner just graduated, she competed in track and field, participated in 4-H, FFA and the National Honor Society, served on student council and was a cheerleader for the Bobcats.
She will go to Iowa State University this fall to study agricultural business and finance.
With a big smile on her face, Werner crossed the stage adorned with the crown and sash that have become her uniform for the rest of the fair, waving to fairgoers with one hand and holding the other over her heart. Then she was at the center of a group hug with the other county queens who vied to earn the crown.
“When I turned around, it felt like home,” she said. “I just wanted to embrace everyone.”
Before Werner was crowned as the 2026 queen, Riah Schrage, the 2025 Iowa State Fair Queen, told the hundreds of spectators it had been her goal to “say yes to everything and rest when it’s over.” Schrage showed her commitment, traveling 13,000 miles around the state, visiting 74 county fairs and singing the national anthem about 30 times.
Now it’s Werner’s turn, beginning as soon as the fair concludes.
“I’m most looking forward to representing all of Iowa and attending various events around Iowa, especially county fairs,” she said.
But for now, while the fair is still packed with what is expected to be a record number of fairgoers, she is soaking up the sun and the love from her fellow Iowans.
“The best part has definitely been getting to meet all the people,” she said. “I love the little girls’ faces when I go up and take a picture with them, or when I’m walking around and see people wave at me, I feel very welcomed.”
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State Fair Queen Belle Werner was ‘shocked’ to be crowned
Reporting by Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
