The 2026 Shelby County Fair Queen is Triton Central graduate Farah Coen.
Six contestants vied for the title Sunday at the Wortman Family Civic Center in Shelbyville. Coen, a 10-year 4H participant and the First Runner-Up in the 2025 fair queen pageant, is excited for a second opportunity to be visible at the 177th Annual Shelby County Fair, which begins June 15.
“I want to be more involved with the 4Hers and get to talk to them more,” explained Coen, the daughter of Keith and Jill Carson Coen. “Last year, I think I was too caught up in the bigger events, and I wasn’t able to branch off and talk with 4Hers like I wanted to. That is something I am passionate about since I am a 10-year 4Her. This year, I hope to get to the buildings more and talk with people.”
The 2026 Shelby County Fair Queen Pageant participants were (seated) Farah Coen; (standing from left) Cora Flynn, Savannah Theobald, Malia Murphy, Madeline Huntsman and Kendra Loller.
Fellow Triton Central graduate Kendra Loller was crowned First Runner-up. Shelbyville’s Madeline Huntsman was Second Runner-up.
Waldron’s Malia Murphy was named Miss Congeniality, an award voted on by the fair queen contest participants.
That quartet will serve as the 2026 fair court and will be at many events during the week-long Shelby County Fair.
Also competing in the fair queen pageant were recent Shelbyville graduate Cora Flynn and Shelbyville rising senior Savannah Theobald.
The pageant also marked the end of the reign of 2025 Fair Queen Ellie Gosser, who was in attendance to crown the award winners Sunday.
The contestants were judged in three areas.
- Interview session earlier Sunday with the three judges was worth 50 points
- Professional Wear judging (posture, poise and overall impression) worth 20 points
- Evening gown judging (stage presentation and overall impression) worth 30 points
Coen will attend the University of Miami (Ohio) in the fall to begin pursing a degree in Engineering before attending law school to become a patent attorney.
With her crowning as Shelby County Fair Queen, Coen will compete in the Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant in 2027.
“This isn’t even about just the title and the crown. It’s the people behind this,” she said. “It’s more about who is incorporated in the fair and who are these people that have always supported me. And the community I love so much. Being able to represent Shelby County as an ambassador is a dream come true.”
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