Huntley alumnae wins Miss County Fair queen

HUNTLEY — Olivia Pawlak of Lake in the Hills considered entering a pageant for the last few years.

“But this year, I was 110 percent sure to do it,” Pawlak said.

On July 30 in Woodstock, Pawlak, a 2023 Huntley High School alumnae, won the Miss McHenry County Fair pageant title.

“I was very surprised. My parents, Marcena and Maciej, and my whole family hugged me. I was shocked, grateful. It’s been fun so far,” Pawlak said.

Pawlak enjoyed dancing with those listening to “Banjo Buddies” old songs and also showed a goat during the open competition at the county fair Aug. 1.

Pawlak did not enter a local pageant before the county fair event, but said the 10 other contestants made it great.

Pawlak is a sophomore this fall at Illinois State University in Normal. She has several interests ranging from the outdoors to face painting.

“The key to face painting is to prepare,” Pawlak said.

Olivia Parker of Cary won the Teen Miss title while Tinley Nulle of Harvard was crowned Junior Miss.

“All the girls are so amazing,” Parker said of the pageant.

Other area ties to the McHenry County Fair:

The Union-based McHenry County Antique Farm Association of Illinois. Tractors from the 1930s to 1960s were on display and drivers showed them at a parade. Club members saluted area veterans with a “21 tractor salute.”

“Our goal is to educate the public, about tractors and farming and to let the public know that farmers feed them,” club president Butch Borchardt said.

Meanwhile, a Fire Safety Town of tables of miniatures and trains was presented. Gerald Schalk of the Fox River Grove Fire Department makes the buildings while Bob Webb of the Sun City Railroad Club takes care of the trains in mythical Freeport, not the Illinois town.

“It’s a typical midwestern town of  1957. I researched all the movies of ’57,” Schalk said. “We’ve been doing this for five years and get great response from the kids. We only do this fair, once a year is enough.”

Town pieces are made from a wide variety of items, from plywood to balsam wood, bass wood and plastic, Schalk described.