Girls between the ages of 1 and 21 are encouraged to take part in the 11th Annual Benedum Festival pageant. Seven young ladies will become members of this year's festival royalty, playing a role in hosting the July 11-12 festival at Bridgeport City Park and representing that festival at other area/regional events. 

 

The children's pageant - including Baby (age 1-2), Tiny (3-4), Little (4-6) and Miss (7-9) categories - will take place Sat., June 21. Competition for Pre-Teen (10-12), Teen (13-15) and Queen (16-21) divisions will be held Sunday, June 22. All portions of the pageant will be held at Benedum Civic Center. 

Winners in each age division receive a tiara and sash. Those securing runner-up and third place spots will receive trophies and all participants will receive goody bags, full of gifts and prizes as donated by local businesses.

 

Pageant Director Judi Giffen said several other benefits are associated with participation. Not only is it fun, but it's a confidence builder and introduces girls to potential new friends. Particularly for older contestants, the pageant is an ideal stepping stone to bigger events as girls learn what judges are looking for with regard to poise and personality, Giffen added. 

 

Those who have entered the Benedum Festival Pageant as a first-time pageant experience include Bridgeport’s Kaitlin Gates, the pageant’s first preteen queen, who went on to represent West Virginia in the 2013 Miss America Pageant. 

Former Benedum Festival Queen Adrianna Lindsey went on to capture runner-up in the Miss West Virginia Teen USA pageant. Heather Hostutler, the second  Benedum Queen to be crowned, won the Association of Fairs and Festival Pageant and was runner-up in Miss WV USA. Former Preteen Queen Isabelle Raeses went on to be Miss Outstanding Teen WV.

Other past festival pageant winners have advanced in the pageant circuit and/or the modeling industry.

“Kathryn Scarbough was a Miss Queen and she went on to win national titles and is doing modeling right now,” Giffen said. “Morgan Kesecker, our queen from 2011, went on to be featured in Gladys magazine.”

The Benedum Festival Pageant also serves as a good resource for furthering skills associated with pageantry.

“We work with our girls and help them with posture, interview skills, eye contact or even confidence,” Giffen said.

For girls who wish to advance in the Miss West Virginia USA system, discount entry fees are available, Giffen added.

Pageantry aside, the experience follows the girls into college and the job market.

“They learn how to speak in front of people, resulting in good interview skills,” Giffen said.

Among the best perks is the camaraderie. Contestants, past and present, form a sisterhood and that the whole Benedum Festival Pageant system is a forever family of support, Giffen said.

“The girls build relationships which last into college,” she said. “And the little girls look up to the older girls as mentors. I’ll see older girls standing in model stance and the little girls see them and start shuffling their feet.”

Giffen encourages contestants of all age levels to have fun with the experience.

“You don’t have to be perfect. Our pageant is based mainly on the personality and what you can bring to the festival,” she said.

Winners in each of the seven categories will reign over the Benedum Festival to be held July 11 and 12. Those duties will range from simple appearances to involvement in festival activities to dancing on stage to the music of featured entertainers.The winning queen will represent the festival at the West Virginia Association of Fairs & Festivals Pageant in Charleston. 

Giffen recommends not spending big bucks on competition attire and choosing a gown which is age appropriate. Those competing in the Children’s Pageant (up through age 9) will compete in party, church or flower girl dresses. Older girls will compete in suits/business wear and evening gown. All contestants will be judged on natural beauty, personality, poise, confidence, eye contact and overall stage presentation. 

Deadline for entry is June 1. Deadline for ad placement is May 27. The pageant is also seeking area businesses to donate merchandise and retail gift certificates.

The Benedum Festival is held annually in honor of "The Great Wildcatter" Michael Late Benedum.

 

For more information about the festival, pageant or to obtain a registration form, visit the festival’s web page HERE.

 

Pictured above are 2013 Benedum Festival Pageant winners Little Queen Karmendi Fratt, Queen Madison Moyer, Baby Queen Harper Moore, Tiny Queen Kayleeana Minard. (Back): Pre-Teen Queen Rileigh Fortney and Miss Queen Jade Nguyen.