Miss Lawrence County Ella Benson is headed to the 2026 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant this weekend.
The pageant is part of the 115th annual meeting and convention of the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs at the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Hotels in the state capital of Springfield. Benson will be among 75 county fair queens from around the state competing for the title.
The actual competition begins on Saturday, January 17th and continues through Sunday the 18th with the finals at 6:30 p.m. that evening.
Voting for the 2026 People's Choice Award winner is continuing through midnight Saturday. Local residents can support Benson by visiting this website--https://illinoiscountyfairs.org/peoples-choice/. The cost is $1 per vote, and a person can vote as many times as they like. The People's Choice winner will be announced on stage during the finals and will earn a cash scholarship. The winner will also get to donate $500 to a charity of their choice.
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