Paint Valley’s Lanie Shaw is 2025 Miss Fall Festival of Leaves

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“It feels good to help carry on this family legacy” 15 year-old Lanie Shaw said after being crowned Miss Fall Festival of Leaves Thursday night in Bainbridge. Shaw follows in her sister, Clarissa Burns’ footsteps. Burns presided over the 2023 Festival as Queen.

Thirteen contestants were grilled by judges before the pageant and then answered questions from their biography and on the spot questions pulled from the “fish bowl”. The pageant was live streamed on the Litter Media Facebook Page and YouTube channel.

Shaw was Contestant #13 and it turned out to be a lucky number for the Paint Valley Junior. Her two-word response to the question “If you could invite one celebrity to the festival, who would it be and why?” Shaw quickly replied with “Taylor Swift! I am the biggest ‘Swiftie’ here tonight. One thing about Taylor Swift is she is just as community centered as I am.” Shaw added Swift comes from a small village background “just like myself – and I’d really love to meet here!”

Shaw, the daughter of Cody and Tiffany Shaw, receives a $1,000 scholarship as Queen. Her court also receives scholarship money for placing in the top five.

Fellow Bearcat, Emma Knisley, a Senior was selected as 1st Attendant. She’s the daughter of Jered Knisley and Racheal Bray Knisley. 2nd Attendant is Payton Wells, an Adena Junior. Wells is the daughter of Joy and Greg Wells. 3rd Attendant is Paint Valley sophomore Faith Proehl, the daughter of Dusty and Holly Proehl and 4th Attendant is Hannah Johnson, a Paint Valley Junior and daughter of Amy and Rob Compher.

Wells also won the Best Evening Gown while Paint Valley Senior Caitlyn Dyer was selected as Miss Congeniality by the contestants.