WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – Mary Guisewhite, 2017 Miss Wabash County 4-H Fair Queen, will be competing in the 2018Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant January 5-7. This marks the 60th annual Indiana State Fair Pageant. The 2018 Miss Indiana State Fair Queen will be crowned Sunday, January 9, 2018 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Mary is one of 87 contestants selected at each county fair’s queen pageants this past summer. The 2018 Indiana State Fair Queen will reign for the next twelve months, promoting the Indiana State Fair as the official spokesperson and reigning over the 17-day fair August 3–19, 2018.
Mary Guisewhite was selected as the 2017 Wabash County Fair Queen at local pageant held in July. Mary is in her first year at Indiana University-Kokomo studying Nursing. Mary was a 10year Wabash County 4-H member and graduated from Wabash High School this past May.
During the three-day event held January 5-7 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Mary willparticipate in four preliminary judging categories – Interview, Professional Wear, Prepared Speech and Formal Wear.
Preliminary judging of the prepared speech, professional and formal wear will be held in the Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2018. Ms. Guisewhite studied dance for 15 years and has chosen that for the topic of her 1-minute prepared speech. The public is welcome to attend the preliminary judging. Tickets are $10 each.
The finals will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, January 7 in the Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum. New for 2017, sixteen (16) Semi-Finalists will be selected during the pageant finals to provide additional recognition to the outstanding contestants. The semi-finalists will compete again in the prepared speech and professional wear. After which 10 of those will be announced as the finalists. The finalist will be judged in their formal wear and will be asked an on-stage impromptu question. All questions were submitted by their fellow contestants. The Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant finals and queen coronation are open to the public. Tickets are $10 each.