By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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PECATONICA — Fallon Perry had twice finished as a runner up while competing in Jr. Miss Winnebago County Fair pageants.
This year was the 17-year-old incoming Jefferson High School senior’s first time in the big pageant, and she earned the crown and the right to represent the fair as its queen for the next year.
“I’m really excited for the next year ahead of me,” Perry said. “I’m just very thankful for everyone who came to support me and all the other beautiful women who came out here and showed their truest form.”
Related: Language struggles froze her on stage last year. How this year’s Jr. Miss Winnebago County Fair won the crown
Perry was selected from a field of six contestants to win the $1,000 scholarship that comes with the title of Winnebago County Fair queen. The daughter of Tylina and Jesse Perry said she hopes to one day become a forensic scientist.
“This pageant really brings out the confidence within everybody no matter what,” Perry said. “I am so happy I’ve been competing in this. My confidence has skyrocketed when I compete in this and when I’m around these people. I just feel like my truest myself.”
This year’s pageant went on without the longtime staple of the swimsuit portion of the show. Winnebago County Fair pageant directors took a note from other pageants, including Miss America, which dropped swimsuits in 2018.
“I felt that it was eliminating some girls, maybe they don’t have the confidence to come and be in a swimsuit,” said Kim Mathieu, pageant director. “And you never see the queen out in a swimsuit.”
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Instead, contestants dressed in event wear, which gave them a new way to show off their fashion sense.
Each of the three finalists — Perry, Olivia Girardin and Elizabeth Taylor — were asked during the finale round of questions about the decision to eliminate swimsuits. All agreed that it was the right move. Perry said the event wear was the right move because it better signified the kind of clothes you would see a fair queen wearing day-to-day.
They were also asked about what can be done to raise more funding for the fair and about the impact of lab-grown meat on the farm industry.
Perry, who competed in Jr. Miss pageants from 2014 to 2019, was first runner-up in 2018 and second runner-up in 2019 in those competitions.
“She competed in the Junior Miss and was never crowned,” Mathieu said. “Over the years, seeing her grow and her confidence level being up there and the way she carried herself, it was amazing.
“She has grown so much over the years.”
Miss Winnebago County Fair queen results
First runner-up: Olivia Girardin, 17, of Pecatonica
Second runner-up: Elizabeth Taylor, 20, New Milford
Miss interview: Katelyn Moore, 19, of Winnebago
Speech and communication: Katelyn Moore
Poise and posture: Brylee Knutti, 16, of Pecatonica
Crown bowl question: Katelyn Moore
Evening gown and stage presence: Katelyn Moore
Miss photogenic: Katelyn Moore
Director’s award: Madison Palm-Graceffa, 17, of Winnebago
Miss congeniality: Katelyn Moore
People’s Choice: Madison Palm-Graceffa
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas