Miss Logan County Fair 2023 Ellyn Martinez participates in Miss Illinois State Fair Queen Pageant this weekend

 

[January 11, 2024] 

The 2023 Miss Logan County Fair Queen Ellyn is currently participating in the Miss Illinois State Fair Queen Pageant, which began on Thursday, January 11th and will continue through Sunday, January 14th at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Illinois.

Queen Ellyn Martinez is contestant 30 out of 72 contestants.

Ellyn is the daughter of John Martinez and Karen Martinez and younger sister to Tyler (Melissa), Emily (Katie), and Cade. She is a Political Science and Legal Studies major at Illinois State University. Her future career plans as a government lobbyist will focus on youth mental health.

Residents of Logan County might recognize Queen Ellyn from her work behind the counter at Top Hat Creamery in downtown Lincoln, where she has spent three years serving her community the best hand-scooped ice cream. She also volunteers for Gigi’s Playhouse, a Down Syndrome achievement center, and as a basketball coach for the Special Olympics in Bloomington.

As Miss Logan County, Queen Ellyn has relished the opportunity to serve Logan County with Junior Miss Ellie Wrage and Little Miss Kodi Eigenbrod, who she has enjoyed getting closer to over the past few months. “I am in awe of how much both of them have grown in just the past few months. They represent our county well!”

Since being crowned Miss Logan County Fair Queen in August 2023, Ellyn has not only been representing Logan County across the state, but has also been preparing for the state competition. Ellyn has been working day after day to prepare for the different requirements of the state pageant, including an all-contestant dance, individual interview, evening gown walking, pop questions, and her one-minute speech.

Miss Ellyn’s favorite part is the interview. Even though it can bring butterflies to the stomachs of even the most practiced contestants, Ellyn loves the energy and opportunity that it brings. “Getting the chance to show my personality and make the judges smile and laugh make the interview process so much less nerve-wracking.”

While the personal interview is exciting for Ellyn, the speech is what she is most nervous about. She began her state pageant preparation months ago by brainstorming topics for her one-minute speech. “The topic is very different from my county speech. I have spent a lot of time revising it to make it under one minute. I don’t want to get ‘buzzed’ off the stage!” If a contestant’s speech goes over a minute, a buzzer sounds, they are not allowed to complete the speech, and points are deducted from their overall score.

Most people might not know that Ellyn has had a little experience inside the show ring. Several years before she was crowned, Ellyn showed a cow named Penny. Even though Penny was a headstrong bovine and forced Ellyn to work hard to keep her in line, she provided Ellyn with a view into a world she didn’t know much about. “Although I showed her during winter and not during a county fair, the opportunity provided me with a new love for country fairs, and it sparked my interest in wanting to represent my county.”

Ellyn is the first to talk about how great Logan County and its residents are.

“I have been lucky to have a pageant crew who truly care about me and help me in any possible way. From mock interviews to practices on the stage at Lincoln Community High School, they have been with me every step of the way.”

Queen Ellyn has also received an abundance of help from the community. “The community has been so kind and helpful leading up to the state competition by acting as mock judges in practice interviews. I am so thankful for their helpfulness and that they took time out of their day to help me.”

The Miss Illinois State Fair Queen Pageant is more than just the competition. It’s four days with 72 young ladies from across the state. Queen Ellyn is as poised in high heels walking across the stage as she is delivering a speech in front of hundreds of people. She will represent Logan County with the same passion and commitment that she has used to prepare for the Miss Illinois State Fair Queen Pageant.

Anyone who would like to come watch Queen Ellyn’s competition should come to the Crowne Plaza on Saturday, January 13, 2024, for the 1 p.m. competition. Badges can be purchased on the first floor and provide access to both the afternoon and evening preliminaries.

The Top 15 will be announced at the Sunday evening final competition, and the much anticipated final Grand March of all 72 contestants. Tickets must be purchased prior to the event.

The Logan County Pageant crew encourages those interested to watch the Facebook page (@misslogancountyfairqueen) and Instagram profile (@misslogancountyfair) for live updates throughout the weekend.

[Submitted by: Logan County Fair Queen Pageant Committee
Written by: Michelle Ryan, Committee Editor]