BFF25: Nicole Lowe is more proud mom than former ambassador after Kendry's win

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

Earlier this summer, when the Brussels Agricultural Society held a special evening at the Brussels Legion to introduce the new Fall Fair Ambassadors to the community, Nicole Lowe, a former ambassador herself, swapped her long-time fair board member hat for that of a proud mom.

 

Kendry Noble, her daughter, was crowned the Brussels Fall Fair’s Little Ambassador, winning the title over two competitors, somewhat following in her mother’s footsteps into a position through which she will represent the Brussels Agricultural Society and spread the good word near and far of its fall fair.

 

Kendry is, of course, no stranger to the work of the society and the fun of the fair. Nicole has been a member of the board for decades, more specifically serving as part of the Ambassador Committee, made up of former ambassadors who now work to keep the program alive and vibrant, recruit new potential ambassadors and support the winning ambassadors in any way possible, from parades to any other appearances they make on behalf of the society. More than that, however, Nicole instilled in her children that having the day off of school to be part of the Brussels Fall Fair is no free ride and that they must earn their way to the fair.

 

If Nicole’s children - Kendry is joined by brothers Beckett and Jacoby - wanted to enjoy the fair, they were responsible for making five submissions each to the fair, in addition to being part of the parade, which has become a family tradition. So, the faces of Kendry and her siblings will not be new to members of the Brussels Agricultural Society and to patrons of the Brussels Fall Fair.
Kendry is very crafty, says Nicole, admitting that that is not a trait she has, so it’s a bit of a mystery as to where Kendry got her love of crafts from, but that’s usually where she makes her exhibit submissions. She’s very creative and will never turn down a chance to use that for a new craft at home or at school. 

 

This year, when they were going through the annual Brussels Fall Fair book as a family, Kendry and Nicole had a conversation about the ambassador program. Sure, Kendry had seen her mother’s crown and sash from her Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador win 20 years ago, but had not yet considered getting involved herself. (Nicole was one of the few locals who have made it to the final seven at the Ambassador of the Fairs competition, held at the Canadian National Exhibition, and had been the most recent ambassador from Brussels to do it until Sean Mitchell did it just a few years ago.)

 

So, Kendry and Nicole talked about it and Nicole described the position as being a chance to go around and talk about the Brussels Fall Fair, represent the society and encourage people to come to the fair and Kendry immediately thought that was something she could do. As Nicole said, she has been blessed with the “gift of the gab”, inherited likely from her mother who is similarly gifted.

 

From there, the two went over the requirements and what was expected from Kendry if she was going to officially enter the competition. She had to write a submission and quickly focused on the life of a pig. Kendry began peppering her older brothers with questions about pigs, which they were more than happy to answer, which helped Kendry inform her submission. Nicole says that too was a very proud parenting moment to see her three children working so well together and the two older boys demonstrating so much pride in their little sister now that they were all expressing an interest in the same thing. (It began with Kendry wanting to write about her favourite food - bacon - and learning a bit more about where it comes from and how it ends up on her breakfast plate, though Nicole encouraged her sons to spare Kendry some of the grittier details.)

 

Nicole helped her type up her submission (once Kendry’s fingers were placed on the keys by her mother, Kendry was befuddled as to why they wouldn’t just stay there on their own) and the rest is history. Kendry competed alongside two other contestants - the only category of the ambassador program that had multiple contestants this year - and was named the winner by the judges, who had reviewed all three submissions ahead of that night at the Legion Branch.

 

When Kendry’s name was called, Nicole says she was a pretty proud mother in that moment, knowing how much the fair has meant to her throughout her life and seeing her daughter now follow in her footsteps and demonstrate that same love for her community’s celebration.

 

It was especially meaningful, Nicole says, to have long-time Brussels Agricultural Society member and several-term president Dorothy Cummings in attendance that night as well. Cummings served as the society’s “Fair Mom” when Nicole was named the Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador, so, to have a picture taken of Cummings, Nicole and Kendry, Nicole says, was pretty special in terms of the time passing and the society serving the community through the generations.

 

Nicole says that she knows what the society and being an ambassador have meant to her and she often sees past winners now coming into the program with their children as well, which is a real testament to not only the place of the program in the community, but all that it means to those who take part in it.

 

Looking ahead, Kendry is most excited to be part of the cake-decorating competition and auction on the Tuesday night of the fair, which will be yet another opportunity for her to show off her creativity. However, Nicole says that Kendry is most looking forward to the parade. She has been part of it before, certainly, but this year she’ll be wearing the crown and sash and be riding in her own car, which is sure to be an experience she’ll never forget.