With Sabine origins, current Louisiana Cotton Queen and former Miss Battle of Pleasant Hill Emma Rose McElwee recently heightened the titles she possesses at the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals (LAFF) Queen of Queens Pageant, where she added Miss Congeniality to a long list of accomplishments.
She’s a relative newcomer to the pageant scene, as McElwee only started competing in her 20s and was quickly named the aforementioned Miss Battle of Pleasant Hill in 2023.
Her experience promoting the beloved local festival, which commemorates the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River each year, inspired her to continue down both the path of pageantry and promoting Louisiana as a whole.
“My decision to compete in the Cotton Pageant was based around my desire to promote an industry so important to our state,” McElwee tells the Index. “I get to market the importance of cotton farmers throughout the state as well as the festival held every year to celebrate them.”
She also points out that the title has blessed her by providing the opportunity to grow in personal networking as well.
She recently had the experience of representing her festival at the Washington Mardi Gras Ball on the court of the Mystic Krewe of Louisianians.
McElwee describes the experience as “humbling, breathtaking, emotional, fabulous, surreal, and endlessly fun.”
“I have never seen a movie as spectacular as what I experienced,” she said. “As someone who had never attended a Mardi Gras ball prior, the opulence and attention to detail truly blew my mind. As I paraded around the ballroom during my presentation with giant rhinestones with cotton balls trailing behind me, a sense of overwhelming gratitude washed through me as I attempted to collect my thoughts on the week. My cheeks hurt from smiling so big as the tears began to flow the moment I stepped backstage to quickly slip off my train and mantel before joining fellow queens on stage to watch the rest of the grand show.”
She was elated by her dress, which had quite the backstory. It was the one that pageant director Katelyn Calhoun, who is well known locally for her work with the Battle of Pleasant Hill, wore as Queen Cotton.
The opportunity to compete at the LAFF Queen of Queen Pageant, which is a massive event where queens from numerous parish fairs and festivals compete for scholarships and various other prizes, along with bragging rights of being the Queen of Queens for the state of Louisiana. Winners also get to compete for the prestigious Miss Louisiana title when that pageant is held.
“It seemed unreal that it was me walking into the hotel lobby as this year’s Cotton Queen and their representative as I had so highly regarded those who walked before me,” she said.
While there, she attended a workshop entitled “Beyond the Crown.” It gave inspiring ideas on how to maintain involvement and remain a contributing member of the festival after each respective queen’s reign ends.
The many events of the weekend passed. Workshops were attended. Fantastic food was served. A hypnotist was provided for entertainment. However, the pageant itself was the main event.
After a night of competition, Emma Rose McElwee was named the winner of Miss Congeniality, an award given to the friendliest, most helpful, and outgoing competitor. From memory, this is the first time a Sabine Parish native has received any title at the Queen of Queens pageant since former Zwolle Tamale Fiesta Queen Brandi Stout took home the crown in 2008.
“Feelings of shock and gratitude flooded my heart as I made my way to the stage to accept my recognition,” McElwee said. “Everything seemed a blur.”
Being extremely gracious, Emma is eternally grateful for the opportunities she has gained through her brief time in pageants but is also quite humble and wants to point out other positive happenings, such as Calhoun serving LAFF as vice president, the Louisiana Cotton Festival receiving a marketing award for this year’s festival sweatshirt, and the Battle of Pleasant Hill receiving recognition for their webpage.
Indeed, things are bright for this queen of cotton with decidedly Sabine roots.