MEET YOUR CONTESTANTS
Click each link for biographies and photos of every contestant.
Mini Blueberry Bud (3- and 4-year-olds)
Tiny Miss (5- and 6-year-olds)
Little Miss (7- to 9-year-olds)
Pre-Teen (10- to 12-year-olds)
Since the first Blueberry Festival six years ago, event organizers have wanted to crown their own queen.
That dream is coming true this year.
The first Blueberry Festival Pageant will be held at 1 p.m. April 13, at Keel and Curley, 5210 Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. More than 100 girls will compete in seven age categories, with a queen and first maid winners in each category: Mini Blueberry Bud, 3- and 4-year-olds; Tiny Miss, 5- and 6-year-olds; Little Miss, 7- to 9-year-olds; Pre-Teen, 10- to 12-year-olds; Junior, 13- to 15-year-olds; Teen 16- to 18-year-olds; and Miss, 19- to 23-year-olds.
The pageant will include 60-second opening introductions of each contestant, an evening-gown portion and on-stage questions. For the younger divisions, 3- to 12-year-olds, the question will be the same. For the older divisions, contestants will pick their questions from a fish bowl.
The top winner from each age group will make appearances during the festival as the first Blueberry Court.
“It’s just going to be a fun, fun pageant,” organizer Julie Hasting says.
The contestants will be judged on poise and grace on stage, natural beauty, overall appearance, introduction and the on-stage question. Judges will be from out of town.
“It’s not all about beauty,” co-organizer Brigittia Long says. “They need to be able to speak well and have confidence.”
Each girl will receive a crown, T-shirt and goodie bag for participating.
“If they have the courage to be there and compete, they should get something,” Hasting says. “We feel like every child is a winner, so we want to give them a winning gift.”
One special princess also will make appearances at the pageant and festival. Morgan Pierce, 10, will serve as the Honorary Blueberry Princess. At 5 years old, Pierce was diagnosed with stage-four neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that affects the sympathetic nervous system. Now 10, she continues to fight the cancer and has become an advocate for childhood cancer.
Pierce will crown all 120 contestants and raise awareness about childhood cancer. A portion of the proceeds from the pageant will be donated to her trust fund to pay for medical expenses.
“I know not very many people out there know about childhood cancer,” Pierce says. “They have fun and live their lives, but there’s kids dying every day from cancer. It needs more awareness for research.”
Hasting and Long contacted Pierce about becoming the princess.
“I was really excited,” Pierce says. “I was smiling, dancing and jumping around.”
“I really didn’t know if she’s want to do it or not,” Pierce’s mother, Emily, says. “But when she said, ‘Yes,’ I was excited for her, because she could be an advocate.”
A budding fashion designer, who fills her drawing pads with custom outfits, Pierce’s favorite parts of pageants are the dresses. She will be rocking a light-blue gown she wore for the Junior Royalty Pageant earlier this year.
However, Pierce does have one concern about the pageant. With seven age categories featuring contestants as old as 23, more than half of the girls will be older than her — and that means many will be taller, as well.
“I’m not sure how they’re going to sort out the problem of me standing on my tippy toes to crown the girls,” Pierce says.
Despite this minor setback, Pierce is excited to grace the stage and congratulate all the contestants. And, as a two-time Junior Royalty contestant, Pierce has some valuable advice for the Blueberry Pageant contestants.
“Smile, and just look at the judges,” she says. “And don’t fall down!”
BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL PAGEANT
WHEN: 1 p.m. April 13
WHERE: Keel and Curley, 5210 Thonotosassa Road, Plant City
TICKETS: $15
PHONE: (813) 752-9100
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