Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Festival pageant contestants named

Thirty-four young ladies from the Gurdon area have signed up to compete in the 17th annual Forest Festival Beauty Pageant, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, in the Gurdon High School cafetorium.

Pageant coordinator Billy Wells, owner of Billys Main Street Florist, listed the following contestants by division.

Running for queen, are: Haley McClure, 18; Jennifer Hopson, 17; Sydney Jester, 17; Stephanie Dyer, 16; Jennifer Nolan, 16; and Hanna Prince, 17.

Running for princess are: Hillary Frisby, 13; Madison Brady, 14; Lacy Hill, 13; Railey Williams, 14; Haley Drake, 15; Alyssa Watson, 15; Sissi Jester, 14; Jesi Woolf, 15; and Rachel Pierce, 13.

For junior miss, candidates are: Stacy Hill, 12; Hannah Jester, 12; Tiffany Krueger, 12; and Blakely McClure, 10.

Little Miss category contestants are: Peyton Bradshaw, 7; Ashtynn Hughes; 7; Olivia Moore, 8; Katlynn LeMay, 9; Houston Kirkpatrick, 8; Ashley Perkins, 7; Michaelynn Rogers, 9; and Bret Ashton Renfro, 9.

For the tiny miss crown, competitors are: Kinnedy Hughes, 6; Elizabeth Adair, 6; Rachel Ledbetter, 5; Hailey Nix, 4; Gracie Jester, 6; Blakley Williams, 6; and Juliana Leon, 4.

Tickets for the event are on sale for $5 at Billys Main Street Florist in Kuhns Hardware on Main Street.

Wells said this years master of ceremonies and announcer for the pageant will be Jim Farris, pastor of the First Assembly of God Church.

Wells said contestants should be ready to rehearse on the morning of the event, Sept. 16.

"They are to be at the high school cafetorium from 9 until 11:30 p.m.," he said.

Tiny miss will meet from 9 until 9:30 p.m.; little miss, 9:30 until 10 a.m.; junior miss, 10 until 10:30 a.m.; princess contestants, 10:30 until 11 a.m. and queen contestants, 11-11:30 p.m.

Wells said winners and other contestants of the pageant are invited to participate in the Forest Festival parade, tentatively set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28.

"The pageant contestants will be judged according to their beauty on the stage," Wells said. "We would love to have all of our contestants ride in the parade."

Winners will be selected by three out-of-town judges.

Wells said contestants for the princess and queen categories will be interviewed in the Hoo Hoo Building at 3 p.m. on the Saturday of the contest.

Wells said, "We would like to invite everybody to come on out to the beauty pageant. It is usually a big event, and as always there will be a winner taking over a crown in each category."