Johnson County fair queen starts reign, encourages kids to get most out of 4-H

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause Sunday night when Emily Martin was announced as the next Johnson County fair queen.

Wearing a sparkling blue gown, the 18-year-old Bargersville resident accepted her crown and the title of Miss Johnson County with tears of happiness.

She soon said it was an honor to represent Johnson County along with her court — Elise Armstrong, 1st runner up; Emma Gunn, 2nd runner up; Layna Tzaferis, 3rd runner up; Abigaile Wolfe, 4th runner up; and Chloe Grubb, Miss Congeniality.

Martin said she was anticipating making the queen’s court, but it wasn’t until Jenna Kelsay, the 2023 Miss Johnson County, looked at her while holding the crown, that she realized she would be queen.

Showing pigs, spending time on the Midway and watching the queen contest are among the 10-year 4-H member’s favorite memories from the fair, now she gets to cap off her last year in 4-H as fair queen.

Alongside the court, Martin will spend all her time hanging out at the fair and handing out banners and ribbons at livestock shows. Since she’s still in 4-H herself, Martin has to balance showing her own pig and goat during the week as well.

The pig barn at the fairgrounds has been like a second home for the last 10 years. Winning banners has been fun, but the community around the barn makes the experience, she said.

“I’ve grown up in this pig barn since I was 8 years old,” Martin said. “Every year we have someone to support and it’s just a very fun time. I’ve won a couple of champions here and there, but [my family and I] mainly just come here for the community and the fun.”

Aside from showing animals and her queenly duties, she also plans to take time to enjoy some of her favorite fair foods and spend time on the Midway this week.

Martin doesn’t come from a pageant background, so she took a few months prior to the contest to prepare with help from her mother and the pageant organization. She worked especially hard to prepare and rehearse her speech about her favorite fair activity or memory — a key component of the queen’s contest.

Martin admitted she is more of a sweatpants and sweatshirt kind of girl, but said she was happy to have the experience of participating in the queen’s contest and walking the stage.

“We all started gathering together a couple months ago and talking about what to expect,” Martin said. “(We) started writing our speeches and memorizing words and it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of talking to yourself and saying your speech over and over again in the mirror.”

For the little girls who watch the queen’s contest like Martin did year after year, she encourages them to do everything they can — and pursue anything they want to try in 4-H. She also advised them to go to 4-H camp and get involved as she did in things like the Honors Program, as it opens a lot of doors for its members.

Martin is also Johnson County’s first coroner’s office intern. With her Franklin Community High School diploma completed, she’s next headed to Muncie to pursue a degree in criminology at Ball State University. She’s also working to get a private pilot’s license.

“With the coroner’s office, it really opened a huge door for me,” Martin said. “It opened some form of inspiration I’ve never felt before. I love learning about the mind and how it works. I love the investigative side. It’s just really interesting.”

Her path after college is not fully clear yet, but she plans to see where the road takes her.

Martin says her parents, Amanda and Dustin Martin, are her biggest supporters.

“She’s always told me to try new things, get out there,” Martin said.