Grace McCarty was crowned as the Miss Johnson County 2022 Sunday night at the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair.

Angelica Gonzalez Morales | Daily Journal

The Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair is the time for many children to make their favorite memories, like showing pigs, drinking a Farm Bureau milkshake, or winning a crown.

For Grace McCarty, being crowned the 2022 Miss Johnson County will be her favorite fair memory of all time.

“I’m still kind of in shock, like someone pinch me because it doesn’t feel real but I’m so grateful. I give all to God, he helped me through every single step of my life … I’m so grateful,” McCarty said.

McCarty will be a senior in the fall at Center Grove High School and with plans to attend Liberty University with a major in animal science. She is the daughter of Josh and Jennifer McCarty.

In the years leading up the crown, McCarty was highly involved with the Johnson County Fair. She is a nine-year 4-H member and is showing two pigs this year.

Grace McCarty gives her speech during the Miss Johnson County 2022 pageant Sunday night.

Angelica Gonzalez Morales | Daily Journal

Grace McCarty, introduces herself to the crowd in the beginning of Miss Johnson County 2022 pageant Sunday night.

Angelica Gonzalez Morales | Daily Journal

Grace McCarty stands besides Kyra Baker, Miss Johnson County 2021, Sunday night at the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair.

Angelica Gonzalez Morales | Daily Journal

Grace McCarty was crowned as the Miss Johnson County 2022 Sunday night at the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair.

Angelica Gonzalez Morales | Daily Journal

A typical day for McCarty during fair week is waking up bright and early. She prepares two bowls of feed for her pigs and cleans; fills up their water bowls; cleans the pigpen and gives baths to the pigs if needed; then she takes them on a walk around the fairgrounds.

This week, McCarty will balance her own pig shows with attending other livestock shows and handing out ribbons with her five court members. The court members are: Brittany Porter, first runner-up; Lilly Pryor, second runner-up; Gracie Morris, third runner-up; Bianca Salazar, fourth runner-up; and Maya Adkins, Miss Congeniality.

“I’ve been involved in this fair since the year I was born, I did Little Miss Johnson County, I did Peewee Showmanship and just ever since then,” McCarty said.

For McCarty, showing pigs is a passion has grown larger over the years. Being able to raise such amazing animals and making them her best friend then work close to them everyday is her favorite part of 4-H, McCarty said.

“Enjoying the most about showing is the adrenaline that you get when you’re in the arena, it is so fun to see all your hard work pay off whether you don’t get the results or you do get the results you want,” McCarty said.

McCarty says her family are her biggest supporters and her parents have been her best friends through the pageant and 4-H process.

Inspiration and encouragement are two things McCarty wants to show others as queen of the fair.

“I just want to inspire people, and just let everybody know that they’re all loved, every single person is loved in their own way,” McCarty said. “That everyone should feel seen and everyone should feel equal.”

McCarty was nervous leading up to the pageant and had many sleepless nights. She believes the overwhelming support from her family and friends is what helped her prepare for Miss Johnson County.

“It was very nerve wracking … just preparing by rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing to my mom, to any of my friends,” McCarty said.

McCarty isn’t sure what’s ahead in the pageant world, but she’ll be competing for the bigger crown of Miss Indiana in 2023.

For now, she is looking forward to setting an example for younger 4-Hers.

“Meeting a lot of new people, getting to see the younger generation and the younger girls too. Just to inspire them to be themselves even when they feel different,” McCarty said.

As queen, McCarty encourages people to take that extra step toward good.

“We live in a very broken world and as we can tell by events, just this past couple months, it’s a broken world,” McCarty said. “So, just doing your best to love one another and just doing your best to always go just one extra step to give a smile to a stranger really change the world one step at a time.”

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