(La Porte, IN) - Since she was a toddler, 20-year-old Jaxzee Marks has been a Pioneer Land kid. This year she became Queen of the Fair. On the opening day of the 177th annual county fair, Marks was crowned Miss La Porte County Fair Queen.
“I’ve been around the fair my whole life, always been around the petting zoo,” Marks told HTNN while petting a silver donkey named Slurpee.
“I feel very fortunate to be able to hold this title.”
Marks is a 2021 graduate of South Central and a former 10-year 4-H member. She is going into her junior year at Ball State, where she studies elementary education.
She might not have ever aspired to the honor of Fair Queen, if not for the encouragement of a long-time family friend. Marks said Dick Reel, the “father of Pioneer Land,” inspired her to participate in the Queen Pageant. “He always wanted me to run for this,” Marks said.
“Especially in the years before he passed away, I was able to really get to know him. He would always come over to our house for cookouts, and we were able to really bond.”
Jaxzee is the daughter of Jack and Starla Marks of Hamlet, who are still heavily involved in Pioneer Land.
Marks stayed busy all week bestowing ribbons at 4-H livestock shows. She also met Jordan Davis and Lainey Wilson before their concerts. But being Fair Queen isn’t all glamour. On Thursday, Marks participated in a pie-eating contest and bested La Porte County Sheriff Ron Heeg in a goat milking competition. She also drove her uncle’s tractor in the antique tractor parade.
On Wednesday the current Indiana State Fair Queen visited La Porte’s fair. In January Marks will compete for that title. In the meantime, she will fulfill her royal duties around La Porte County.
“I’m really excited to be able to go to all the little festivals that we have,” Marks said, “especially the Scarecrow fest, the Pumpkin Fest in Westville.”
In August she'll get to meet the other Indiana county fair queens in Indianapolis.
