CASSOPOLIS — Meghan Lahti and Cameron Hayden reign over the 161st Cass County Fair this week as queen and king.

Also crowned Saturday night in the 18th annual fair king and queen and ninth annual prince and princess pageant were Meghan’s sister, Elizabeth Lahti, a third- grader at Eastside, as runner-up to Princess Kiersten Hartsell of Sam Adams in Cassopolis and Prince Nathan Andrina of Edwardsburg, backed up by Sam Hein of Niles.

Meghan, daughter of Christopher and Becky Lahti, will be a senior at Niles High School. She likes riding and showing horses and volunteering. She describes herself as responsible and energetic.

Cameron, son of Ron and Elayne Hayden, is a junior at Cassopolis High School and president of the FFA chapter. He plays soccer, shows livestock and describes himself as passionate, a leader and hard-working. King and queen earn $300 scholarships.

Sixteen girls competed for princess, six boys for prince, four young men for king, including runner-up Taylor Baker, and seven young women for queen, including runner-up Nicole Irwin, a junior at Dowagiac Union High School.

She likes dancing, playing volleyball and tennis and showing animals at the fair. Nicole describes herself as caring, reliable and charismatic.

Taylor just graduated from Ross Beatty High School. His hobbies are playing sports, including travel baseball. Taylor describes himself as intelligent, athletic and trustworthy.

Theme for the royalty contest chaired by Beth Klug with a committee of Ashley Sampson, Brenda Smego, Nicole Linton, Whitney Smego and Samantha Townsend was “Selling You on the Cass County Fair.”

They told how they would spent $1,000, suggested new fair food, such as Buffalo wings, spaghetti, doughnuts, big pretzels, hot dogs and sloppy joes, revealed what one thing they would remove to their backyards, such as a concession stand, a horse, a ride or cotton candy, advice they would give to someone considering joining 4-H or what they would show a visitor as important.

Prince contestants also included Jimmy Strukel of Edwardsburg, Gabriel Tone of Marcellus, Ryan Robison of Dowagiac and Skylar Westphal of Cassopolis.

Seeking princess were Madeline Stockwell of Dowagiac, Taylor Pye of Dowagiac, Sydnie Wellman of Cassopolis, Emily Andrina of Edwardsburg, Kaitlyn Hartsell of Cassopolis, Sophia Stockwell of Dowagiac, Katelyn Waldschmidt of Cassopolis, Courtney Konrath of Edwardsburg, Meg Pomranka of Brandywine Elementary, Emelyn Tucker of Howard Elementary, Carlee Burger of Edwardsburg, Hannah Outlaw of Riverside Elementary, Lillian Tone of Marcellus and Jessica Robison of Dowagiac.

Sierra Westphal of Cassopolis, third-year college student Bridget Teter, Libby Hein of Niles, Regan Tucker of Niles and Easton Preston of Dowagiac also contended for queen, while king contestants also included Tommy Preston of Dowagiac and Matthew Miller of Niles.

Whitney Ellis, 2011 fair queen, and her runner-up, Brooke Green, served as mistresses of ceremonies.

Easton Preston and Carlee Burger each won $100 entrepreneur awards. Easton raised more than $500, Carlee more than $250.

Elizabeth Kolden, Adam Smego and Lauren Smith judged the pageant, which was attended by 109-year-old Ethan Shelton.