Rockford girls crowned 2023 Winnebago County Fair Queen, Junior Miss
The 182nd Winnebago County Fair kicked off Wednesday at 500 W. First St. in Pecatonica.
Opening day saw fairgoers enjoy carnival rides, livestock shows, classic fair food and so much more. It also meant a new Winnebago County Fair Queen and Junior Miss were crowned.
Fallon Perry, 17, of Rockford, was crowned this year's queen while Anastasia Mackenzie, 12, of Rockford, was crowned this year's Junior Miss.
More: Tickets, parking, main events and more: What to know about the 2023 Winnebago County Fair
Olivia Girardin of Pecatonica was named the first runner-up for queen while Elizabeth Taylor of New Milford was named the second runner-up.
Claire Owens, 11, of Pecatonica was named the first runner-up for Junior Miss. Stella Foley, 11, of Roscoe, was named the second runner-up.
There were six contestants in the fair queen pageant and eight contestants in the Junior Miss pageant.
This year's pageant looked a little bit different with the exclusion of the the swimsuit competition.
"While the purpose of the swimsuit competition has evolved, the history of the pageant industry’s swimsuit competition is rooted in for-profit spectacle. For this reason, among others, many pageant systems are moving away from the swimwear tradition in favor of other means of assessing confidence, composure and wellness." fair officials said in a June news release.
While the pageants were a highlight of the fair's opening day, there's plenty of family fun through Sunday. Here's a look at the grandstand schedule for the weekend.
6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18: Badger State Hot Rod Tractor Pulls
6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19: Illini State Pullers, Truck and Tractor Pull
2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20: Demo Derby
Other highlights include live music, 43 concession vendors, livestock and more.
More information can be found at www.winnebagocountyfair.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford girls crowned 2023 Winnebago County Fair Queen, Junior Miss
