Pageants are synonymous with county fairs. One Adair County pageant stands out for its distinctive ability to bring joy to a special group of people.
The Sunshine Pageant is an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to be able to fully participate and enjoy the fun of pageants—a kind of event that they normally may not have access to. The Sunshine Pageant offers its participants the ability to demonstrate their strengths, personalities, and stories in a forum specifically focused on and tailored around them. Much like the pageant’s namesake, it is their time to shine.
In accordance with the wholesome and positive atmosphere, there are no losers in the Sunshine Pageant. The pageant instead emphasizes everyone’s uniqueness. It sets out to foster an environment of inclusion and fun instead of being a traditional competition.
This year, the Sunshine Pageant was held last Saturday during the fair. On the same night, there were also Tiny Tots shows, the Miss Teen Adair County Fair, the Miss Adair County Fair, and the Ms./Mrs. Adair County Fair pageants.
For the Sunshine Pageant, there were four participants: Allie Chadwell, Beth Ann Lawless, Susan Short, and Frances Owens, all of whom won their respective age divisions. This year, every entrant happened to be a female, but pageant director Morgan Sandusky says there have been men compete in the past.
“We normally also have a Mr. Sunshine as well… hopefully next year we have a Mr. Sunshine,” she said.
Despite the lack of a Mr. Sunshine, Sandusky says there was a large turnout for the pageant this year, as well as for the other pageants held Friday and Saturday nights.
“We had such an amazing crowd this year,” Sandusky said. “The community always shows up really, really good for it.”
Part of the turnout, Sandusky believes, is due to the pageants being part of the fair again. People already going to the fair have something to watch and, importantly, the pageants now have a more permanent home.
“I think the fair food helped,” Sandusky added. “And the vendors and the rides.”
After the fair’s last outing in 2016, the pageants continued—albeit, bouncing around venues. When the fair was announced to be returning earlier this summer, Sandusky and company rallied to quickly organize the pageants as part of official fair festivities.
“This was my first year helping to run it,” Sandusky said. “Ms. Anita Clark used to run it and kind of passed the torch onto us this year. She always did such a great job with it.”
Assisting Sandusky with the pageants this year were her mother, Jill Harvey, and Adair County Fair board member, Amanda Page.
Of all the pageants she organized this year, Sandusky says the Sunshine Pageant is her personal favorite to watch.
“There’s never a dry eye in the house. It always brings a lot of emotion because it’s just such a sweet thing to watch… We just love it because it showcases a different group. The contestants are always so excited to get out there, and the excitement on their faces makes it all worth it… They’re all just so unapologetically themselves,” Sandusky said. “From the minute they got there they were happy to be there and I think they made everyone else happier, too.”
Sandusky says she and those involved are already hard at work coming up with ideas for the Sunshine Pageant and others for next year’s Adair County Fair.
By Kenley Godby
kenley@adairvoice.com
