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Caitlyn Nuding, 20, Celina, is crowned Miss Lake Festival 2027 by former Miss Lake Festival Mackenzie Harmer, 19, St. Henry, at Harley C. Jones Memorial Rotary Amphitheater in the Bryson Park District on Sunday evening.
CELINA - Caitlyn Nuding, 20, Celina, was crowned Miss Lake Festival 2027 on a beautiful Sunday evening at the Harley C. Jones Memorial Rotary Amphitheater in the Bryson Park District.
Nuding is employed at Mercer Health as a certified nursing assistant and at Made Apparel and is pursuing a nursing degree at Wright State University-Lake Campus.
She presented a HERstory about the impact of alcohol addiction. Her community service initiative is "H.O.P.E. - Helping Others through Peer Education on Alcohol Addiction."
Nuding was asked what message she hoped to convey to a young person who is growing up in a home affected by addiction.
"The biggest message I hope that that child would leave with is that alcohol addiction is a disease," Nuding said. "It is not a choice, it is a brain-altering disease that makes their parent physically depend on alcohol and knowing this will make the biggest different in their life, knowing that it isn't a choice but a disease, and it needs to be treated that way."
She is the daughter of Chuck and the late Carrie Nuding and was sponsored by Celina Moose Lodge.
In addition to the title, Nuding took home a $5,000 scholarship.
Alika Bridge, 17, Celina, is crowned Miss Lake Festival's Teen 2027.
Taking home the Miss Lake Festival's Teen 2027 title was Celina High School senior Alika Bridge.
Bridge, 17, is employed at Briarwood Village, Shipyard Sports and Events Center and the Bryson Pool. She performed an expressive dance to "Dancing on My Own." Her community service initiative is "Compassion Without Condition," which encourages young people to choose kindness, inclusion and respect for everyone, regardless of their differences.
She was asked what one thing about kindness she would like to teach every elementary student.
"I would tell them that kindness is the easiest thing to do," Bridge said. "It is easier to give a kind comment or a compliment to anybody, no matter if they're older or they're younger, and that is the easiest thing to do when it comes to being kind to one another."
She is the daughter of Stephen and Midori Bridge. In addition to her title, Bridge took home a $500 scholarship
Brynly Huber, 17, Celina, performs "What Was I Made For?" on the piano during the talent portion. Huber was awarded first runner-up to Miss Lake Festival's Teen with a $300 scholarship and the teen interview award with a $250 scholarship.
The Miss Lake Festival and Miss Lake Festival's Teen pageants are preliminary pageants where the winners earn a spot on the Miss Ohio and Miss Ohio's Teen stages and the opportunity to compete for the title of Miss America and Miss America's Teen.
Nuding and Bridge will both advance to compete for Miss Ohio and Miss Ohio's Teen June 2027. They will also reign over Lake Festival events this weekend.
Sunday night's contestants were required to select a community service initative, and the competition phases included a private interview, an onstage question, health and fitness modeling, a talent competition and an evening gown portion.
Ella Wilson, 20, Delphos, shows off her gown. Wilson won first runner-up to Miss Lake Festival with a $2,000 scholarship. She also won the Fred Thees Interview Award and a $500 scholarship.
Several other awards and scholarships were also handed out Sunday evening. Many of the awards also came with flowers, a photoshoot, hair and makeup and a gown for the photoshoot.
All non-finalists Miss Lake Festival contestants received a $500 scholarship, and each candidate also received $200 from their sponsors to cover the costs of the pageant or to be used as additional scholarship money.
"That means that the least any of the Miss Lake Festival contestants will walk away with tonight is $700 worth of scholarship money, and we are awarding over $11,000 in total scholarships this evening," said pageant emcee, and Miss Lake Festival 1993, Carrie Cubberley. "It is truly amazing, and it's because of sponsors that our Miss Lake Festival pageant is one of the locals with the highest amount of scholarships awarded."
Twenty Little Miss Lake Festival participants appeared in the opening number.
There were also 20 Little Miss Lake Festival participants that appeared in the opening number, modeled an athletic outfit showcasing their character, answered an on-stage question, modeled an evening gown and received an official crown and sash.
Miss Lake Festival's Teen contestant Kennedy Sprague, 17, Celina, shows off her gown.
Miss Lake Festival's Teen contestant Jada Highley shows off her painting during the talent portion. Highley won the Allie Gray Be Real Not Perfect award and a $250 scholarship.
Miss Lake Festival's Teen contestant Kara Fullenkamp, 17, Rockford, performs "Ave Maria" on the flute.
