(Indianapolis, IN) – Three contestants from Southeastern Indiana took part in the Indiana State Fair Queen Program Competition over the weekend inside Corteva Coliseum at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis.
Miss Decatur County Addie Gauck finished as a Top 16 semifinalist.
“It was just a really cool experience to be able to present my speech on stage, and just give everyone a little bit of insight into who I am and why I’m where I am right now,” Gauck said. “It was an amazing experience and I would definitely say, anyone who is skeptical about it, it’s a lot of fun and it’s a good experience to have.”
Gauck earned the Miss Decatur County crown in Greensburg in late June and was also named Miss Congeniality, an honor voted on by fellow contestants. She has represented Decatur County at fair functions and community appearances throughout the year.
Miss Franklin County Ayla Leinesch says she was proud to represent her community.
“It was something I never thought I was going to be able to do, but I was just so thankful I got to meet all of the girls and got to spend the whole weekend there. It was the most incredible experience,” Leinesch said.
Lienesch advanced to the state competition after earning the Franklin County fair queen title last summer and has represented the county at fair events and community activities throughout the year.
Miss Ripley County Onika Streuwing reflected on her experience at the state level.
“My favorite part of the competition was, probably, meeting everybody from different counties and seeing the similarities that we all kind of had and the differences, Streuwing said. “And I also loved walking in my formal gown, because I just think it’s beautiful and I loved walking in it on that big stage.”
Struewing was crowned Miss Ripley County in July at the Damm Theatre in Osgood, where she also received the pageant’s Professional Wear Award. She has represented Ripley County at numerous local events during her reign.
A total of 77 county fair queens from around the state competed.
In the end, Miss Jackson County Presley Hampton was named 2026 Miss Indiana State Fair Queen.
This year’s Indiana State Fair Queen’s Court included the following finalists:
- 1st Runner Up: Kylie Cox, Tippecanoe County
- 2nd Runner Up: Addison Buckley, Hancock County
- 3rd Runner Up: Lexi Wilhoite, Vermillion County
- 4th Runner Up: Gretchen Link, Jay County
The remaining finalists completing the Top 10 represented Boone County, Clinton County, Wabash County, Vanderburgh County, and Howard County.
The title of Miss Congeniality was presented to Addie Morris from Johnson County.
As Miss Indiana State Fair 2026, Hampton will serve as a statewide ambassador, traveling an estimated 10,000 miles during June and July and visiting about 50 counties while promoting the state fair.
The 2026 Indiana State Fair will be held Friday, August 7 through Sunday, August 23, and will be closed on Mondays.
