Despite fair cancellation, 2020 Miss Whitley County Fair Pageant still happening

There is some good news and some bad news when it comes to the 2020 Whitley County Fair.

Emma Grace Cooper was the 2019 Miss Whitley County Fair, and will hand off her crown later this year to her successor.

The bad news is that organizers have decided not to have the fair this year due to COVID-19. The good news is that the Miss Whitley County Fair Pageant is still on.

“It is going to be on. We are trying to find a venue,” said Hannah Reynolds, one of the pageant organizers.

“It is very important to me that we have representation at The Kentucky County Fair Pageant. It was to the fair board as well. Obviously, we would have liked to get together for the fair itself this year.”

Reynolds noted her aunt, Diane Moses, won the Williamsburg Water Festival Pageant several years ago, which has essentially turned into the Miss Whitley County Fair Pageant.

“It is just so important to me to continue doing that. It is such a good thing. We give scholarships to girls across the state. Especially with everything going on we need to open up those opportunities anywhere we can,” Reynolds said.

While the pageant is still on this year, it is going to look different than it has in past years, and there are still a lot of logistics to be worked out, such as when and where the pageant will take place and how to implement COVID-19 restrictions.

Reynolds noted that many of the event venues aren’t taking reservations until July 1.

She said that the pageant may have contestants come in separately with their mothers or one other person to help, and get everything done during 30-minute intervals.

“It is going to be crazy thing, but a good year,” Reynolds said.

The event will be live streamed.

In regards to spectators, a final decision hasn’t been made yet on whether those will be allowed

The pageant won’t include the little and tiny categories this year like it has in years past. Instead, entrants will be limited to preteen, teen and the miss categories.

Reynolds noted that there is a lot of interest in this year’s pageant with young women calling from everywhere.

“We have had a ton of messages because there are so many closed fairs this year, or they just didn’t have them (the pageants),” she said. “Girls are coming from everywhere. We have had a ton of interest this year. I would say it is going to be bigger than it normally is because of that.”

Reynolds added it was just announced during the last couple of weeks that the Miss County Fair Pageant is still going to be held.