Grace Huffman, Chelsi Walicki vie for asparagus crown.

Grace Huffman, at left, and Chelsi Walicki. Photos courtesy of Jay Luptak.

Grace Huffman, Chelsi Walicki vie for asparagus crown.

WEARE TOWNSHIP — The 2022 Asparagus Queen will be crowned this Saturday, June 4, during the 2022 pageant and fundraiser at the West Michigan Research Station.

The event is sponsored by Michigan Freeze Pack, and tickets are $7 at the door for adults; $5 for ages 12-6; and free for ages 5 and under. 

Doors will open at 4 p.m. to allow guests to socialize with the queen candidates. Light refreshments are sponsored by Dark Water Coffee and Merten’s Farmhouse Market LLC. 

Asparagus Queen 2018 Kendra Larios-Mendez will emcee the pageant, which begins at 4:30 p.m. 

The newly-crowned queen will receive a $1,000 scholarship award that can be used toward continuing education or to make a contribution to a local non-profit approved by the National Asparagus Festival Board of Directors. 

The following is information provided by NAF about the two women vying for the 2022 asparagus queen crown:

Grace Huffman

Grace Huffman

Sponsored by C&D Fuehring Farms

Grace was the 2021 Asparagus Queen First Runner-Up and loved every second of it. She is 21 years old and currently works as a licensed practical nurse. She went to Shelby High School and graduated from ASM Tech Early College in 2020 where she earned her high school diploma and her associate’s degree. Grace is continuing her education at West Shore Community College to become a registered nurse. She hopes to use her license as a labor and delivery nurse in the future. Grace loves asparagus and had so much fun with the National Asparagus Festival that she couldn’t stop after her year as runner-up and had to run again. She can’t wait to learn even more about the industry and for more opportunities to celebrate asparagus.

Chelsi Walicki

Sponsored by Quick-Way Inc. and Walicki’s A-1 Auto Body & Towing LLC

Chelsi was born and raised in Mason County and has strong connections to Oceana County through family and her father’s business. At a young age, Chelsi became involved in the NAF helping her aunt with many of the festival activities. She was a youth participant in the NAF Food Show; helped with the art fair; and participated in the parade. Following high school, Chelsi pursued her bachelor’s degree in accounting at Davenport University and is currently an accountant for Quick-Way Inc.

Chelsi Walicki

Trucking Company. In her free time, Chelsi has volunteered for the Oceana County 4-H Youth Program helping at the livestock auctions and judging exhibits. She has recently joined the Oceana County Farm Bureau where she is learning and helping to share how important farming is to the area. Chelsi is working hard to secure her future dream of owning her own hobby farm with various animals. If crowned asparagus queen, she hopes to learn more about the asparagus industry and share what she learns with others she meets.

One candidate will be crowned queen Saturday, and the other one will be named runner up.

The National Asparagus Festival returns June 11 and 12 after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 the previous two years. The highlight event is the Royal Parade Saturday, June 11, at 2 p.m. in downtown Hart. Visit nationalaspargusfestival.org for more information.

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