Daviess County is known to produce talented pageant performers at the Kentucky State Fair year after year, and LaTasha Shemwell is looking for this year’s next contestants. The Preliminary contest is happening on August 4.
Shemwell has led the Daviess County Lions Club Talent Show for the last decade. The Talent Show is a preliminary contest for the annual Kentucky State Fair, where different contestants compete from across the state.
In the past, Shemwell said Daviess County is not a County to be counted out as it has produced great contestants each year, with some taking the crown.
“In 2022, it had been a long time since Daviess County had a first-place winner, but that year, we had a first-place winner and a second-place winner. That was huge,” she said.
The local contest will select the top 3 contestants to advance to the State Fair in Louisville on August 17. At both the Preliminary and the State Fair, contestants will compete for scholarships.
The contest is open to talents of all forms, from vocal performance to dancing, contortionism, and more.
The pageant contestants are aged 13-21, and Shemwell said competing has helped grow several contestants’ confidence, especially at this crucial point in their lives.
“Many people who would have never done this or gotten out of their shells have come and won our preliminaries and gone on to the state. That definitely boosts their confidence, especially if they place and win,” Shemwell said.
In 2023, Owensboro’s Dylan McCollam won second runner-up in the State Fair and was awarded $700.
To register, email Shemwell here. There is a $25 entry fee.
