First Du Quoin State Fair pageant a big success for all concerned

Tawmi Conley got her answer this week - yes, the Du Quoin State Fair is an excellent place for a pageant, and everyone would have a good time.

Conley, the special events coordinator for the 2021 Du Quoin State Fair, took a chance that young girls from the area would enjoy competing in a pageant - one that had a state fair theme - and her hunch paid off.

Twenty girls competed in three age categories.

"I thought for the first year we did pretty good," Conley said Thursday. "Everybody had such a good time."

Conley started advertising for contestants in July. She also recruited a lot of help: from pageant sponsor Fenton Collision; from the Flower Patch in Pinckneyville which brought beautiful flowers for the stage, and from Glittery Creations, which decorated the rest of the competition area at the Grandstand.

She also was assisted by Miss Du Quoin Trinity Wright, Miss Perry County Fair Addisyn Calloni and Junior Miss Perry County Fair Ryan Wildermuth. Her emcees for the evening were KyLee Behm and Addison Carver.

"It was the first time I'd ever done a pageant," Conley said, adding she got also help from a lot of girls who have done pageants - especially the kids who are her dance students - and, of course, their moms.

In fact, the event went so well and was so well received that Conley said she'd like to add a Miss Du Quoin State Fair pageant in 2022.

"I wanted to see how well this one went first," she said, "and it went great."

The Preteen winners for the evening were:

Reese Shivley, Miss Preteen

Savannah Provart, 1st runner up

Prettiest hair: Sedona Prior

Prettiest smile: Rori Reagan

Reese Shivley was also named Miss Congeniality.

The Junior Miss winners were:

MacKenzi Hale, Junior Miss

Marley Trail, 1st runner up

Prettiest hair: Blair Woolf

Prettiest smile: Marley Trail

The Little Miss winners were:

Mia Castellano, Little Miss

Crystal Ridgeway, 1st runner up

Prettiest hair: Saylor Loyd

Prettiest smile: Crystal Ridgeway

The contestants handled their own clothes for all three rounds, which were Dress like you are going to the State Fair; Dress like cowgirls; and party dresses.

Each girl also had a private interview with the judges.

The winning girls will be in Friday's Twilight Parade, and will appear around the fair, making appearances and handing out prizes.

See more photos at www.duquoin.com