The reigning Miss Illinois County Fair Queen is enjoying her time with the crown.
Jacksonville’s Natalie Evans tells RFD Illinois that it’s not just about promoting the Illinois State Fair, but also promoting the roots at the local county fairs all around the state: “When you’re representing a county fair, you’re not just representing a fairground who has concerts and rides, but you’re representing a community. I know in Morgan County and I’m sure in the surrounding counties, too, that is the biggest unification of Jacksonville and Morgan County as a whole. Being able to represent that unity and all of those people who volunteer for every single county fair at the state level is purely amazing. I’m very humbled to be able to do that because I know how much goes in to running a county fair – providing all of the entertainment and again that unity in the community.”
Evans says that anyone on the fence about entering a county fair pageant should give it a try. She says she was hesitant to enter the Morgan County Fair pageant a year ago but decided to give it a try and now she understands its more than a crown: “Pageants are more than just being able to walk in a beautiful ball gown and show yourself to the crowd and to the judges. Pageants open up a door – win or lose – open up a door of professionalism. They get you started in interviews, something to put on a resume. So not only if you do win, obviously it’s going to be amazing, but even if you don’t, you gain confidence. For me, it was the aspect of if I didn’t do this, I was going to regret it. To anyone out there who is thinking about doing it, live your life with no regrets. If you are thinking about it, do it.”
The Routt Catholic High School graduate is currently attending Murray State University in Kentucky, where she is pursuing a major in pre-veterinary medicine and a minor in chemistry. Evans plans to attend several county fairs over the summer as well as the Illinois State Fairs this August.