LaBelle Harvest Fest Fun for Kids
By Emilie Rumble
Friday night the Royalty Contest kicked off the annual LaBelle Harvest Fest with two candidates each for the Little Miss and the Little Mister. Although there were only two candidates for each title, it appeared that the new Little Miss could not have been more surprised at the outcome, although the Little Miss 1st Runner-Up had been already announced. A sweet moment of pure awe overcame Destiny Ownbey after her name was called as the new Little Miss. She gasped and placed her hand over her mouth in a shocked expression. The Little Mister ‘cut the rug’ with some cool moves during the dance portion of the contest and when his name was announced he shared a toothless grin as he was bestowed with a ‘Shining Armor’ breastplate.
Little Miss First Runner-up Chyan Savage was hit with a bout of stage fright and covered her eyes during most of the contest – it was in the final moments before the crowning that she agreed to join Destiny on stage to share some of her dance moves. Little Mister First Runner-up Devon Ownbey was reserved but did his share of moving on the dance floor as well.
The 2014 
Little Mister Tuff Turpin, age 6, and 2014 Little Miss Clara Keim, age 8, were on hand to turn over their titles to 2015 LaBelle Harvest Fest Little Miss Destiny Ownbey, age 6, and LaBelle Harvest Little Mister Colten Walter, age 5. Little Miss First Runner-Up was Chyan Savage, age 6, and Little Mister 1st Runner-Up Devon Ownbey, age 5.
Parents of Destiny and Devon Ownbey are Derrick and Heather Ownbey. Grandparents are Pam and Marvin Ownbey, Bob and Kelly D’Spain. Great-grandparents are Don and Debbie Howe and W.T. and Selina Clark.
Parents of Chyan Savage are Marie and Charles Savage. Grandmothers are Martha Watters and Susan Turpin. Great-grandparents are Gene and Janna Woodard.
Colten Walter is the son of Tiffanie May. Grandparents are the late Lisa and the late Bill Walter. Great-grandmother is Jean Miller.
Sadly, there was not a big crowd on hand for the very warm Friday evening of events.
Camden Scifres, 16, shared his gift of singing a great selection of music, which included hits by Roger Miller, Conway Twitty, Toby Keith, George Strait, Sam Smith, Michael Buble’, Darius Rucker and more.
Heat and humidity were high on Saturday. 
Those two elements did not keep the events in the park from happening. Events included a baby contest, bicycle rodeo, and the kiddie tractor pull.
Music by Joey and Nathan Mittelburg was enjoyed by teens on Saturday morning. Black Top South, a band from Quincy, Illinois, performed prior to the annual much-loved Lip Synch.
The parade was one of the shortest seen in recent years. The Lewistown American Legion Post p
resented the colors, followed by entries which included fire trucks from LaBelle and Lewistown, the Ambulance District, The Republican Committee, Representative Craig Redmon, Lewis County Recorder Amy Parrish, Roberts Garage, Sandy Penn and Sheep-Sheep, Kenny Penn and Lyla Merrell, Dalton Hoffman, The Pumpkin Crate at Ewing, and members of the Deer Ridge Saddle Club, followed by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Deputy.
The LaBelle Harvest Fest Committee is in need of members to join them in an effort to continue the annual celebration. If any readers are interested in helping organize the 2016 LaBelle Harvest Fest, please contact Ashley Howes of LaBelle.
