Thursday may not have been one of the busiest days at the Kingdom of Callaway County Fair, but it is definitely in the running for the cutest.
The annual County Fair Baby Contest kicked off 6 p.m. at the bandstand as 74 babies and toddlers smiled, blew kisses and sang their way into the judge's good graces, marking one of the event's biggest turnouts.
"It always has been popular, and it just keeps getting bigger," said Fair Board member and baby contest coordinator Brenda McCray. "The contest is one of our biggest children's events."
Babies from newborns to 3-year-olds were split off into age groups and brought before a panel of three judges, where they were judged on appearance, personality and behavior. Some dozed in their parents' arms, some smiled, kissed and winked at judges, and others still were bashful and tired after a long day at the fair, but all made the judge's jobs of choosing a winner difficult.
"(Choosing one) is hard," McCray said ."All babies are cute, you can't say any one isn't. The judges just have to figure out the best from the categories."