Miss Pea Ridge Pageants canceled

The 71st annual Miss Pea Ridge pageant will not be held.

The pageants are another casualty of the covid-19 pandemic.

The first pageant was held in 1950 in conjunction with the Centennial celebration. Over the years, additional pageants have been added for younger contestants and been held along with the Pea Ridge Fair.

In the past 70 years, there has been a pageant every year except in 1951, 1986 and 1993, according to records. In 1986, there was a former queen’s reunion.

“I know that the Miss Pea Ridge pageants are a long standing tradition and a very important part of our community,” Sandy Fletcher, past president, parliamentarian of Beta Alpha, said.

“To the contestants who participate, it’s more than a beauty pageant, it’s a chance to represent our city and their school at various functions. They gain lots of hours giving back while learning servant leadership. But unfortunately, Beta Alpha has had to make the heartbreaking decision to cancel this year’s pageants.”

“Due to all of the current restrictions in place for large venue gatherings, we have realized the logistics just won’t work for us. We have looked at every other option and unfortunately, canceling is the only choice we have at this point. This was not an easy decision as we did not want to

disappoint the contestants nor the community,” Fletcher said.

“We are currently coming up with a plan to honor our seniors so they can still participate and have the opportunity for a scholarship and represent their community.

“Seniors, be on the lookout for more information,” Fletcher said.

For pageant contestants who are not seniors, and who have already paid their entry fee, Beta Alpha will refund their entry fees.

“We have waited as long as we could to make this very difficult decision. The safety of our contestants and their families is a top priority for us. We hope that you understand and we look forward to seeing you all again next year!” Fletcher concluded.