The Illinois Bear Contest—tied around the theme “Bearlesque”—took place from Aug. 1-2.
The contest weekend’s meet and greet was held at The North End, 3733 N. Halsted St., on Aug. 1. The main contest followed at the Leather Archives and Museum, 6418 N. Greenview Ave., on Aug. 2.
Truly Scrumptious St. James again hosted the contest. The three contestants competed for the titles of Illinois Bear, Illinois Cub and Illinois Pet. The Illinois Bear Contest 2025 winners are Delta Papa for Illinois Bear, Triq for Illinois Cub and Arlo for Illinois Pet. The winners will go on to compete at the North American Bear Contest in Lexington, Kentucky on Feb. 20-23, 2026.
Host, Truly Scumptious St. James. Photo by Joseph Stevens.
Illinois Bear Winner, Delta Papa. Illinois Cub Winner, Triq. Illinois Pet Winner, Arlo. Photos by Joseph Stevens.
