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Cantaloupe festival selects 2021 queen: Callie Perez

Zip Upham, president of the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair committee, crowns Callie Perez as this year’s queen.

Zip Upham, president of the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair committee, crowns Callie Perez as this year’s queen.
Photo by Steve Ranson.

By Steve Ranson

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

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Callie Perez, a recent graduate of Oasis Academy, has been named this year’s Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair queen.

A panel of judges selected the 19-year-old Perez on Friday at the Fallon Theatre.

Perez not only received her diploma from Oasis Academy, but she also earned a Jump Start diploma that satisfies two years of college courses. She told judges she plans to attend the University of Nevada, Reno this fall majoring in theater and minoring in either design or literature.

Perez was also Oasis Academy’s softball team captain for two years. The Bighorns completed an undefeated season and won the 1A state championship.

Callie Perez, left, receives a check from Zip Upham, president of the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair committee. Kim Klenakis, right, is secretary of the committee. Photo: Steve Ranson/LVN

 

Perez said she has attended the festival since her infant years.

“I would love to represent the cantaloupe festival this year,” she said.

Every year, Perez said she looks forward to attending the festival, which is the last weekend in August.

“It’s not like anything you experience in the big city,” she added.

As a youngster, she enjoyed the water slide and archery shoot; now, as a teenager, Perez said she loves the music.

Judges and emcee Zip Upham, who is president of the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair committee, asked Perez about her favorite cantaloupe dish. The Fallon teen said she’s likes the cantaloupe bowl filled with ice cream.

Perez, who works for her mother, said she enjoys the community because of its small size.

“You know everyone here and develop a close relationship with everybody,” she said.

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