Queens crowned as Fort Mill’s S.C. Strawberry Pageant kicks off week-long festival

The S.C. Strawberry Festival, the town’s signature spring event, is officially underway. Daisy Burroughs was crowned Miss Strawberry Festival at the S.C. Strawberry Festival Pageant held Saturday night at Nation Ford High School.

Janine Bents was crowned Ms. Strawberry Festival and Alissa Ilacqua Miss Teen Strawberry Festival. All three winners will preside over the festival, which has events all week long and culminates with the main celebration in Walter Elisha Park in downtown Fort Mill that begins at 4:45 p.m. Friday and ends 10 p.m. Saturday. For a full schedule, go to scstrawberryfestival.com.

This year’s pageant was under the direction of Beth Vanderwalker, Miss Louisiana International 2004 and a contestant in the Ms. Division of last year’s Strawberry Festival Pageant. Her daughters have also been pageant contestants.

This story was originally published April 30, 2017 at 8:32 AM with the headline "Queens crowned as Fort Mill’s S.C. Strawberry Pageant kicks off week-long festival."