At the 114th Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs Convention, Johnna Fulcher of Geneseo was crowned the 67th Miss Illinois County Fair Queen. The event, which took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, brought together fair representatives from across the state. The 20-year-old, representing Henry County, captured the title among a vibrant group of contenders. Fulcher, a student set to graduate from Blackhawk College this spring, plans to further her education in dental hygiene. As the new fair queen, she will visit about 30 county fairs and be the hostess for the Illinois State Fair and the DuQuoin State Fair. Fulcher aims to highlight the critical role of agriculture and county fairs in Illinois through her duties. Delaney Epley and Claire Oliver were named first and second runners-up, respectively, in a strong field of talented participants. Alongside her queen duties, she enjoys a rich life filled with soccer, coaching, and music, symbolizing the vibrant community spirit of the state’s agricultural heritage.
“I nearly blacked out,” she said. “It was an amazing moment. I thought everyone on that stage could have been chosen. The fact it was me, I feel so honored. I’m so grateful. I’m overjoyed with emotion and really happy right now.”
The top 15 finalists were Ella Horn of Williamson County, Claire Oliver of Sangamon County, Olivia Shike of Champaign County, Kyandra Zerrusen of Effingham County, Colleen Schumann of Calhoun County, Haley Bode of Monroe County, McKinley Rexroast of Warren County, Paili Davis of Georgetown Fair, Paris Van Dyke of Clay County, Annalyse Richter of Madison County, Johnna Fulcher of Henry County, Claire Meyer of Moultrie-Douglas County, Kaylee Ford of Western Illinois Fair, Elizabeth Corrie of Schuyler County, Delaney Epley of Christian County, and Gracie Lindley of Bond County.
Non-finalist awards went to Ella King of Mercer County, Ruby Crum Award; Addison Earley of Macoupin County, Best in Stage Presence; Bella Welch of Okawville, Best in Communications Skills Competition; and Olivia Pawlak of McHenry County, Best in Beauty and Physique competition. Emersyn Fleisher of Knox County was the People’s Choice Award Winner.
Earlier at the IAAF annual convention, Talent Show winners were chosen. The winner in the senior division went to Mia Ward of Mercer County with a vocal solo; second place went to Nalani Day of Georgetown County Fair with a piano solo; third place went to Seth White of Boone County with a vocal solo; and fourth place went to Taylor DeWeese of Morgan County with a dance solo.
In the Junior Division Talent Show, Izzy Claudius, Serena Graham-Martinez, and Anlee Jones of Schuyler County were the winners with a dance performance. Second place went to Chloe Buhlig of Scott County with a dance solo; third place went to Tatum Bonjean of Sangamon County with a dance solo; and fourth place went to Audrey Neukomm of Ford County with a piano solo.
Selected for The Friends of the Illinois Fairs Award were Rhonda Mueller of Washington County, Craig Gebhardt of Carroll County, Deb White of Boone County, and Susie Dvorak of Stephenson County.
