Like mom, like daughter: Both winners in Prince William fair baby contest

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MANASSAS — There’s one thing Morgan Welch did before her child won the Prince William County Fair Baby Contest.

“I got a hot husband,” said the 25-year-old Manassas woman, who, presumably, helped to make a beautiful baby.

Welch, 25, and her husband, Mike, entered their 10-month-old daughter Aliva Grace into the judging for the cutest baby age nine to 18 months contest on Saturday, August 12.

Alivia, in a blue dress with a pink bow in her hair, won the first place purple ribbon.

It’s the same ribbon Morgan Welch has behind glass hanging on her wall at home. Like mother like daughter, Morgan Welch won the Prince William County Beautiful Baby Contest when she was 18 months old in 1993.

“I thought this was so cute, I just wanted to come out and be a part of it again,” said Aliva’s mother, Morgan.

For the winner of the boy’s contest, it was his parent’s mission for the week to keep him clean and unbruised.

Amanda and Chad Owens said their 14-month-old son Jack loves to climb on everything, and he takes a fall from time to time, too.

“We had to keep all of this clean before the contest,” said his mother, using her finger to point at her child’s face.

Jack pouted and crossed his arms.

On Sunday, the baby contest awarded prizes for the best girl and boy ages 19 to 36 months. The top prize for each of the four contest was a 1st place ribbon, a trophy, and $30 cash.

Ella Rose Stevens, 36 months old, took home 1st place in the girl’s contest. She wore a floral dress and had her hair tied in a pony tail.

“She was really excited about the contest,” explained her mother, Heather Nicely-Stevens, of Manassas Park. “We thought we were going to have to go out shopping and buy really nice shoes, but instead she took a nap, relaxed, and then we came to the fair.”

During boys competition on Sunday, there was a tie between two of the final four contestants. The judges asked the final four to remain standing while they opened a bottle of bubbles and blew them into the air for the children to chase.

In the end, the top prize went to the rambunctious Ben Reddick, of Bristow. His parents Jill and David brought entered him into the contest and then watched him run around the show barn where the contest was held, each time his name was called to come before the judges.

“I bribed him with cotton candy that he could eat after the contest,” Ben’s mother Jill joked.

Before the contest, Ben was climbing on tractors displayed outside the barns.

This is the 68th year for the Prince William County Fair. The baby contest is an annual event, and Potomac Local was this year’s presenting sponsor of the event.

Parents who live in Prince William County, Manassas, or Manassas Park pre-register this child in July to participate in the contest. Each of the four contests featured about 15 children.

The fair runs through Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, at the Prince William County Fairgrounds at 10624 Dumfries Road. Adult tickets are $10 each, and children and senior tickets are sold for $6 each. Ride wristbands are sold for $18 on weekdays, $20 on Saturday, Aug. 18, and $22 on Sunday, Aug. 19.

Pictured above: Morgan and Mike Welch and their daughter Alivia Grace, Amanda Owens and her son Jack, Heather Nicely-Stevens and her daughter Ella Rose, and Jill Reddick and her son ___.