Miss Volunteer America is returning to Jackson June 18 through June 21 at the Carl Perkins Civic Center, with 51 state titleholders competing for the coveted crown and a $50,000 scholarship.
Preliminary nights will take place from June 18 through June 20, with the winner being crowned on Saturday, June 21. Each night’s event will commence at 7 p.m.
Opening ceremonies will take place June 15 at The Ned R. McWherter West Tennessee Cultural Arts Center, starting at 3 p.m. Here, the women will be introduced alongside their state princesses in an event that is free and open to the public.
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Later that day at 7:30 p.m., the contestants will participate in a mix and mingle event at Hub City Brewing.
Visit Jackson Interim CEO Beth Bolton says this is an exciting event that goes beyond women walking on a stage, and is more about “the spirit of the competition.”
“At the end of the day, they’ve all put in their time on whatever their talent is, their interview, their platform, because more goes into it than just a girl walking across the stage,” Bolton said. “A lot of hard work goes in behind it. I think it’s exciting, it’s fun to watch, it’s fun to see, you never know what you are going to see.”
Bolton said the pageant has an economic impact on the city each year, driving revenue with more people visiting Jackson.
Contestants from each state bring their friends, families, and support systems to stay in Jackson hotels, shop at the stores, and eat at local restaurants over the week-long period preparing and competing for the crown.
“It’s really a huge economic driver for the city, so we’re just very lucky,” Bolton said.
Tickets for Miss Volunteer America can be purchased here.
Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Miss Volunteer America kicks off in Jackson with meet and greet
