Miss Illinois County Fair Pageant

Okawville Fair Queen Pageant 🌾

How has pageant season flown by so quickly?! My 28th and final pageant of the season is officially in the books. I’m so incredibly grateful to have spent this summer traveling to county fairs as your Miss Illinois County Fair Queen. Each pageant brought new friendships, special memories, and moments I’ll cherish for years to come.

Congratulations to Queen Caleigh! You are blessed with such a tight knit community to represent! 💐

Calhoun County 🍎🍊

What an honor it was to attend the Calhoun County Fair Queen Pageant! From being known for apples, oranges, river ferries, and the vertical lift bridge, there’s definitely something to remember about Calhoun County.

I loved getting to know so many amazing people and see how close-knit this community is. The way they come together to love, support, and lift one another up, especially during difficult moments, is truly something special. 🤍

Congratulations to the new Miss Calhoun County Fair Queen, MaKenzie! And congratulations my sweet friend Queen Abby on her outstanding reign. You both shine so brightly! 👑

As the DuQuoin State Fair wraps up, I want to take a moment to thank Director Costello and the Illinois Department of Agriculture for allowing me to serve as the official hostess for both the Illinois State Fair and DuQuoin State Fair. 🤍

I’m so grateful for all the people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had, and getting to see firsthand the work the Department does to support our youth and agriculture. Thank you for the support you’ve given me throughout this year. It has truly been an honor to represent Illinois agriculture, and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow and thrive! 🌾👑

What a wonderful weekend at the DuQuoin State Fair! 🎡 These beautiful grounds have such a welcoming, homey feel, and I loved getting to experience so much of what makes this fair special.

I had the chance to hand out awards at the dairy cow and swine shows, cut the ribbon at the ribbon cutting, ride in the Twilight Parade, attend the Veterans Day program, and explore the grounds!

One of my favorite moments was welcoming county queens to the fair for a luncheon. It was so special to see this tradition brought back and have the opportunity to welcome the girls to DuQuoin and show them around.

The fair continues all week, so I highly encourage you all to stop by and experience it for yourself! 🫶🏼

And that’s a wrap on the Illinois State Fair! What an amazing 11 days and truly an experience I’ll never forget. Thank you to everyone who smiled, waved, or stopped to talk, you all made me feel so welcomed and loved throughout the entire fair. It has been such an honor to represent the State of Illinois, and I’m so grateful to everyone who made the State Fair so special. 🤍

A huge thank you to all of our pageant sponsors who have supported me throughout this journey, as well as Steve at Studio 131 for capturing so many memories with his camera throughout the week. 📸

I hope everyone who came to the State Fair had as much fun as I did! If you missed it this year, be sure to come next year. You won’t regret it!

Bittersweet how the fair comes to an end so quickly, here’s yesterday’s recap! 😆

Day 10 was another full day, with baton twirling, the Dairy Cattle P*e Wee Show, Swine Show, Goat Show, Dairy Cattle Showmanship, and the Culinary Grand Champion Contest. I also got a signed book before heading to the USAC Bettenhausen 100 race, Demolition Derby, and concert!

Soaking in every last moment with another amazing day at the fair! 🎡

A calmer day at the Illinois State Fair, but still a good one! The morning brought 18 harness races! Shoutout to the amazing crew who did an incredible job keeping everything moving smoothly and in a timely fashion. 🐴

I spent some time taking in the last few unseen sights and experiences, including a ride on the pink trolley with the most welcoming conductor, visiting the first aid station, trying a cream puff from the Dairy Building, watching the dive show, chatting with visitors, and making my daily visit to see the talented bakers and chefs for the Culinary Awards.

The perfect way to finish the night? An amazing performance by none other than Miss Ella Langley! 🎶

A day full of experiences! 🎡

I got to visit the Society Horse Show before checking out the award-winning fruits and vegetables in the Hobbies, Arts & Crafts Building. Since the harness races were cancelled, we visited the stables and got to meet some of the racing horses and their trainers.

I also milked a cow at the Milk-A-Cow station, rode the Sky Glider, and took on the Big Slide! We ended the night with photos at the Route 66 area, the giant cozy dog, and the carnival. Such a fun day! 🎡

The Dairy Cattle Show was first on my schedule today, where I was kindly welcomed and able to hand out awards. Next, I had the chance to test my skills at the Auctioneer Competition. Let’s just say I have some practicing to do! 😂

For the first time this week, the weather cooperated for the Harness Races! I’m thankful to have been able to stop by and watch before seeing Susan Shea be honored as Illinoisan of the Day. She has been a chaperone for the county fair queens for so many years, making her very deserving of the recognition. 🤍

I wrapped up the day at the prestigious Sale of Champions, celebrating exhibitors and their accomplishments. I’m so thankful for the individuals and companies who bid and bought livestock and commodities. It’s inspiring to see you all invest in the next generation of Illinois agriculture! 🌾

Another busy day at the State Fair! I started off at the Open Swine Show where I helped hand out awards, then made a few stops at the Culinary Shows throughout the day to present ribbons as well! 🏅

I explored tents and barns, including those by the Illinois Fire Marshal, Illinois State Police, and FFA Barnyard, before catching the circus. The acts made me a little nervous, but were definitely entertaining! 🎪

Then came something I’ve never done before, riding in a six-horse hitch at the Draft Horse Show! Such a neat experience and one I won’t forget. I ended the night at the Tractor Pull, where I got to hand out ribbons too! 🚜