Pictured is the 2023 Miss Fall Festival of Leaves Queen Clarissa Burns
Photo by Brett Kretzer
The following is a farewell speech from 2023 Miss Fall Festival of Leaves Queen Clarissa Burns in its entirety:
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This festival started in 1968 when the community decided they wanted to start a tradition. The Lions Club issued invitations to surrounding festivals, and the Fall Festival of Leaves (FFL) was born. Today, more than 20,000 people attend each year, and that number continues to increase.
When I was a little girl, my favorite part of the Fall Festival of Leaves was seeing the queens and naming the floats from every festival. If you had told my younger self she would become the queen of her hometown festival one day, she would not believe you. Now I have received 365 days of one of the greatest honors I could wish for: I am the queen on the float and hundreds of little girls look up to me. Showing girls, they can do whatever they want if they have a goal and work for it, has been such a privilege. Stepping on this stage for the first time was intimidating, but now being on this stage feels like second nature. It has allowed me to travel across Ohio, and make many great friends and memories. Wearing this crown allowed me to share my hometown with others, and show people the magic of the Fall Festival of Leaves.
This last year has taught me many things: always be yourself no matter what, always be kind to all, always be a friendly face, and always stand with the utmost confidence. Now I see how important it is to spread joy, smile at a frowning stranger, and sit with the lonely.
So many people have contributed to helping me during my reign. Thank you to the Festival of Leaves committee; from the ribbon cutting to the nighttime clean up, I am so grateful for everything you have done for me. Our festival is one of the best festivals in Ohio.
Thank you to Vicky Mettler for guiding me and my family during my reign and coordinating my travels. To Kala Prose, Phoebe Cockrell, and Gloria Peters, this pageant would not be possible without your hard work and dedication. All these women have helped me tremendously during my reign.
Thank you to my family for encouraging me during my reign and being my biggest fans. To my sister, Lanie, thank you for being one of my biggest supporters: from unloading the car when you didn’t have a choice to waking up early on Sundays to do my makeup to fixing my crown when it is crooked, you radiate confidence; please keep shining.
To my dad, Cody. I am so thankful for all you do even when I do not act like it. I know being a girl dad must be tough, but you make it look effortless. Thank you for preparing your car every night before a festival. Thank you for making sure I am always taken care of, and for giving me a role model to look up to.
Finally, the woman I am most grateful for, my best friend in the whole world, my mother. Thank you for being my hair stylist, my support team, and my person. Thank you for being there every step of the way. You and I loved to joke about dad being the first attendant and you being little miss. Without you, I would not be the person I am standing before you today. Thank you all so much for everything you have done, I love you all tremendously.
During my reign, I traveled to 21 festivals, drove 3,387 miles, and created many memories. Some of my favorite festivals I attended were the Sweet Corn Festival for their sweet corn ice cream, Dalton Days for their beautiful Christmas parade, Vinton County Celebration for their fireworks, Jackson Apple Festival for their amazing nighttime parade, and Sugar Creek Festival for their worlds’ largest cuckoo clock.
Some of my dearest friends I have made along the way are Kaydence and Brooklyn from the Vinton County Festival; Paige from the Swiss Cheese Festival; Sophia, Madison, and Haley
from the Circleville Pumpkin Show; Isabella, Macy, and Lexi from the Jackson Apple Festival; Jessica, Lydia, and Grace from the Wild Turkey Festival; Sydney and Ava from Feast of the Flowering Moon Festival; Hannah Brianne from Beaver Oktoberfest; Raven from The Bratwurst Festival; Nancy from The West Jeff Ox Roast Festival; and Savannah, Lillan, and Sickey from The Moonville Festival.
I have met many amazing people from all across Ohio who have made traveling so much fun. I will miss traveling with you all since you have such special places in my heart. Being your friend is so important to me since you have been here from the very beginning.
Wearing this crown has been such an honor. I encourage every girl here, and many others to take a leap out of your comfort zone, since you never know what crown might end up on your head. Representing the community of Bainbridge was the highlight of my year. To the incoming queen, you will enjoy this time in your life so much. Try all the new foods, meet all the people, and make all the new friends. You will enjoy all the travels and meeting girls who have the same goals as you. Soak it all in and make the most of every minute since it will go so fast. When asked where Bainbridge is on the map, I hope people say it is home of the Fall Festival of Leaves.
Again, thank you all so much for your love and support. For the final time, I am Clarissa Burns, your 2023 Miss Fall Festival of Leaves Queen.
