In 2020, Abigail “Abby” Stuckwisch was named Distinguished Young Woman of Jackson County.
In 2021, she was named Indiana FFA southern region vice president.
Then in late July 2022, she was named Jackson County Fair queen.
This weekend, she hopes to add another title: Indiana State Fair queen.
The 20-year-old Brownstown native who now studies at Purdue University will be among 80 county representatives competing in the 2023 Indiana State Fair queen pageant in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis.
During private preliminary rounds on Friday, Stuckwisch will participate in interview rounds and present a 1-minute speech to a panel of judges. During public preliminaries Saturday, she will model professional wear and formal wear.
If she qualifies for the final rounds Sunday, she will once again model professional wear and present a 1-minute prepared speech. If she’s a top-10 finalist, she will once again model formal wear and complete an onstage response.
To prepare for the state contest, Stuckwisch said she worked on finding outfits for each portion of the contest. She found a new formal dress, a professional suit and an interview outfit.
Additionally, she has been preparing a 1-minute speech, practicing her interview skills and bettering her knowledge about the state fair and Indiana as a whole.
“All in all, I believe that the panel of judges will be looking for someone who is approachable, well-spoken, kind and authentically herself,” Stuckwisch said. “While I can prepare for interviewing, modeling and speaking, I truly think the most important part of the entire contest is that I remain authentically myself throughout the entirety of the weekend. If I do that, I will be proud no matter what.”
She also is looking forward to interacting with other fair queens from around the state.
“I know how much I love and appreciate my home county; however, I know that each and every queen shares that same love for their own,” Stuckwisch said. “I can’t wait to learn more about counties from all over the state and the women who represent them. I hope to learn from them and gain a community of support who can provide me with new ideas and ways to serve in Jackson County.”
Since being crowned Jackson County Fair queen July 24, Stuckwisch has been able to experience a lot, from fair week to events around the county.
She said fair week was an absolute whirlwind full of new experiences, never-ending joy, laughter with her court and love for Jackson County. She was able to view the fair from a totally different perspective than she ever had before.
“Growing up as a 4-H and FFA member and livestock showman, I spent a lot of my time in the barns and volunteering in the 4-H and FFA buildings,” she said. “However, through the multitude of events I was able to attend at the pavilion, antique stage, grandstand and more, I saw a whole new side of the fair. The fair is truly a different experience for everyone. Learning this only grew my love for our fair even more.”
In August, she attended Queen’s Day at the state fair, where she met other county fair queens from across the state.
Throughout October, she and her court participated in the Seymour Oktoberfest, HOPE Medora Goes Pink and Fort Vallonia Days parades.
On the first Saturday in December, she and her court rounded out the year with the Medora Christmas Festival parade, where she crowned the festival’s prince and princess.
“Additionally, throughout the fall, the fair court and I have been working to build up some social media presence to continue thanking our fair vendors, share fair memories and provide some inspiration,” Stuckwisch said.
“While representing the fair during fair week was a lot of fun, representing it throughout the year has been just as amazing,” she said. “The fair is truly a celebration of Jackson County as a whole, so what better way to celebrate the fair than to continue experiencing all that Jackson County has to offer throughout the year.”
If you go
What: 2023 Indiana State Fair queen pageant
When: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday (preliminary judging open to the public) and 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday (finals and crowning open to the public)
Where: Indiana Farmers Coliseum, 1202 E. 38th St., Indianapolis
Tickets: $10 (free for children 5 and under); tickets may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or at the box office in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum lobby prior to arrival or the day of the event; parking at the fairgrounds is $10 per vehicle
Details: The lobby will open two hours prior to the event; house seating will open one hour before the preliminary judging begins; seating is general admission