Mardi Gras Queen Farewell

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2021 Mardi Gras Queen Farewell

Being the 2021 Mardi Gras Queen has been one of the best years of my life. When I entered this pageant, I really didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even think I’d win. There were so many bad omens leading up to this pageant, I thought the universe was telling me I was going to lose for sure. One, my car got stolen the morning of the meet and greet. Two, it stormed all throughout the stop sign collections, and three, I literally forgot half of my makeup at home the day of the pageant. But, when my name got called as queen, I couldn’t believe it. Being the Mardi Gras Queen has not only led me to be a better person, but it makes me proud to call Southern Illinois home. Every time I wore the Mardi Gras crown, I always had a good time. Every appearance and every event was so much fun. I have a lot of people to thank for not only supporting me, but for making this pageant one of the best. Ashley and Betti, you guys are some of the best pageant directors around. You two are such strong women and I admire you so much for that. You guys have one of the hardest jobs around, but you handle it so graciously. I truly owe my year to you two. Tara, you give the best hugs, and you are one of the sweetest women I know. Dana, thank you for always making sure I’m okay and being so nice to me. Thank you to the Chamber for making all of this possible and making me feel like true royalty. And finally, thank you to the Pinckneyville community for accepting this Cobden Appleknocker as your own. To the next Mardi Gras Queen, get ready to have the most fun you’ll ever have and represent the best community out there. Forever and always,

2021 Mardi Gras Queen, Grace Pitts