The Brief
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The Miss Subways pageant will be held this Friday, July 18.
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The original Miss Subways pageant ran from 1941 to 1976, and was one of the first integrated beauty pageants in America.
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Take a look at this year’s competitors and see if the line you take is being represented.
NEW YORK – The Miss Subways pageant, one of the first integrated beauty pageants in the country, will be held this Friday, July 18. Take a look at this year’s competitors and see if the subway line you take is being represented.
Miss Subways, revived
What we know
The City Reliquary Museum is a not-for-profit community museum and civic organization in Williamsburgh. The museum, which features displays of New York City artifacts, revived the historic Miss Subways pageant in 2017.
A panel of local celebrity judges evaluate the contestants based off costuming, a talent show performance and answers to subway-themed questions during an interview.
Contestants represent their subway line of choice.
Miss Subways 2025
Here are the contestants for this year’s pageant:
Director and performer Tom Meglio will preside over this year’s pageant.
The judges include:
The show will be held at Coney Island USA’s Sideshows by the Seashore Theater; doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased here.
One of the first integrated beauty pageants
The backstory
The original Miss Subways pageant ran from 1941 to 1976, and was one of the first integrated beauty pageants in America.
Thelma Porter became the first Black woman to win the crown of Miss Subways in 1948, also making her the first Black woman to win a beauty pageant in the country.
Though the contest formally ended, it was resurrected by the MTA for one year in 2004.
The Source
This article includes information from The City Reliquary’s, Miss Subways’ and Coney Island’s websites.
