The Most Special Night of Fair Week

There are a lot of things to love about the Hardin County Fair.

The food. The rides. The pageants. The Motorsports. The smell of funnel cakes calling your name from somewhere across the fairgrounds like it knows you personally.

But every year, there is one event that stands out to me in a really special way.

The Mr. & Miss Exceptional Hardin County Pageant.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is my favorite event at the fair.

Not because it is the loudest. Not because it is the biggest. But because it has the most heart.

This is one of those nights where the fairgrounds feel like more than just a place for summer fun and amazing fried food. It feels different. It feels like family. A night where your heart burns with joy instead of just a reaction to the great food. It feels like one of those reminders that sometimes the best moments at the fair do not come from the rides or the midway. They come from the stage filled with my special friends.

This year, the event is even more exciting because it has been expanded to three categories.

There will be Little Miss & Mister Exceptional for ages 5 to 12, Miss & Mister Teen Exceptional for ages 13 to 18, and Miss & Mister Exceptional for ages 19 and older.

That means more contestants. More proud families. More smiles. More applause. And probably a few more happy tears from folks who swear they just got something in their eye like powdered sugar from their funnel cake.

The pageant is open to boys and girls from Hardin County and surrounding counties, and it celebrates the beauty, talent, and uniqueness of individuals with special needs.

And that is what makes it so good.

Every contestant gets a chance to be seen. Every contestant gets a chance to be celebrated. Every contestant gets a moment where the spotlight is theirs.

That is a pretty powerful thing.

The Mr. & Miss Exceptional Hardin County Pageant will be held Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 5:30 PM at the Hardin County Fairgrounds.

Spots are limited, and the deadline to sign up is July 3 at 8:00 PM. The participation fee is $20, and sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Tonya House at Tonya@DSHeartland.org.

So when you are making your plans for this year’s Hardin County Fair, make sure this one is on your list.

Come cheer them on. Come clap loud. Come be part of a night that shows what this fair, and this community, are really all about.

Because the Mr. & Miss Exceptional Hardin County Pageant is not just another event on the schedule.

It is one of the most special nights of the entire fair. Come find out why I look forward to it each year.