John Willoughby:
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Presented by the Main Street Playhouse, the first ever Down Home Days Pageant will take place on Saturday, April 6, with pageant times at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Who will be crowned the first Glamma Down Home Days, Ms. Down Home Days, Miss Down Home Days and Teen Miss Down Home Days?
Directed by Darla Carver, contestants will compete at 3 p.m. for a chance to win the title of Glamma Down Home Days (ages 40 and up with grandchildren), Ms. Down Home Days (19-40 plus; married, divorced, widowed, as well as those not eligible for the Miss or Grandma division), Miss Down Home Days (ages 19-26; never married or no children), Teen Miss (16-18) and Junior Miss (13-15). Beginning earlier in the day, at 10 a.m., younger contestants can compete in the Young division (ages 10-12), Little division (ages 7-9), and Tiny division (ages 4-6). Other categories include Teeny division (ages 2-3), Baby division (12-24 months) and Infant division (0-11 months).
To enter into the pageant, contestants must reside in Madison County and must meet age requirements as of April 6, 2019. Proof of residency and age may be requested at the pageant director's discretion.
Attire for casual wear will be black bottoms and shoes of contestant's choice. A coordinating t-shirt to wear during the pageant will be provided. No modifications to the t-shirts will be allowed. Additionally, attire for evening wear must be age appropriate.
During the pageant, contestants ages 13 and up will be required to give a pre-rehearsed, on-stage speech of why they love living in Madison County. The answer to the question must be two minutes or less. Additionally, Miss division contestants will have a two-minute individual interview with the pageant judges between the morning and evening pageants. A schedule for the interview will be provided one week before the pageant.
One contestant in each division will receive the title of Queen, first runner-up, second runner-up, photogenic (glitz or natural), prettiest smile and best speech. One contestant in entire morning and evening pageant will be crowned overall photogenic. Also, one contestant will be awarded Charity Queen for raising the most donations for the Rural Area Theatre Troop Pact (RATTpact), the local community theatre group in Madison County. All contestants will receive a goody bag, with gifts from local businesses.
During the pageants, one contestant in the morning and evening pageants will be selected as the People's Choice Award winner based on the most one dollar votes during their respective pageants by guests in attendance. The Charity Queen award will be given to one contestant from the morning and evening pageants who raised the most donation before the pageant. For contest rules, refer to the pageant application.
Each Queen will be required to wear their pageant crown and sash to the Down Home Days Festival, where they will ride on a float during the parade. Additionally, each Queen must participate in one service opportunity during the festival. A sign-up sheet for festival activities will be available after each pageant.
The entry fee is $50 per contestant with a $10 sibling discount (18 years old or younger). The entry fee must be paid by Monday, April 1. An entry fee of $65 is required for entries after the designated deadline.
Tickets to the event may be purchased by visiting www.mainstreetmadisonfl.com or at A Main Street Realty. Tickets are $5 per person in advance and $8 per person at the door. Children ages two and under are free. One ticket is valid for either the 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. pageant. One ticket is not valid for access to both pageants. All proceeds will be donated to the RATTpact of Madison, to bring awareness of local community theatre and arts in Madison County and the surrounding areas.
For more information or to receive an application, email missdhdpageant@gmail.com.