Miss Texarkana Twin Rivers pageant coming up
Local contest stays the same, only some terms change
What’s typically known as the Miss Texarkana Twin Rivers Pageant will see some changes that reflect a revamped Miss America during the competition on Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Pleasant Grove High School Performing Arts Center.
The Miss and Teen competition will start at 6 p.m. that night. The Little Miss TTR Competition will start at 10 a.m.
For the Miss Texarkana Twin Rivers Competition, what were known as contestants are now called candidates. What’s been called the platform statement will be known as the candidate’s social impact issue, says the local director. And instead of a pageant, competition is the word.
While some changes reflect the new direction Miss America is taking, the local competition participants will still be judged under the older categories of competition, said Donna Berry, executive director of Miss Texarkana
Twin Rivers.
Those categories are private interview, physical fitness in swimsuit, talent and evening gown. There’s also the on-stage question. At the national level, however, the swimwear category is being removed.
“As far as we know for right now, all the locals will remain the same,” Berry said. After the Miss America competition itself is held, then they’ll change.
Winners here locally will compete in Arkansas and Texas under new categories in June 2019, however, and they’ll be prepared to do so, Berry said, noting she was particularly proud of how the Miss TTR titleholders did this past summer at their respective state competitions.
Two Miss Teen TTR competitors made the Top 10: 2018 Miss Texarkana Outstanding Teen (Texas) Courtnee Gilchrist at the Miss Texas’ Outstanding Teen Pageant and 2018 Miss Texarkana Twin Rivers Outstanding Teen (Ark.) Reaves Robinson at the Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen Pageant, where she finished 6th. Also successful was 2018 Miss Twin Rivers Outstanding Teen (Texas) Olivia Grace George, who was named honorary in the Pinnacle Club.
Two Miss TTR competitors were granted the Alpha and Overall Preliminary Award in Physical Fitness in Swimwear at Miss Texas, too: 2018 Miss Texarkana (Texas) Jasmine Bruce and 2018 Miss Twin Rivers (Texas) Rachel Johnson. The 2018 Miss Texarkana Twin Rivers (Ark.)
Kyla Soden was a Top 15 finalist at Miss Arkansas.
“All of them were awarded something,” Berry said, adding, “We’re very pleased with them. They represented the city amazingly this year …” She praised their work ethic and ability to achieve goals and go beyond them.
This year’s theme is “BRAVE,” and the competition will use music that exemplifies the theme of bravery. The show will be directed by Shawn Edmonds and choreographed by Bethany Cox and Rachel Johnson of BC Dance.
The deadline to enter the competition is Aug. 20. Forms to enter are available at the website below.
Berry said the amount of in-kind scholarships available to winners this year has risen. It totals more than $104,000. “All of the institutions gave more this year,” she said. Colleges and universities include Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Texarkana College, University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana, Southern Arkansas University, Henderson State University and Wade College.
She encouraged the community to support the competition.
“Come out and continue to support Texarkana Twin Rivers,” Berry said.
(Tickets: $15 for Miss and Teen TTR tickets, $10 for Little Miss TTR tickets. Tickets will be sold at the door. More info and entry forms: MissTexarkanaTwinRivers. org.)