John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Are you looking to be a part of Down Home Days in a fabulous way? Presented by the Main Street Playhouse, the first annual 2018 Down Home Days Pageant will take place on Saturday, April 14, with pageant times at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Directed by Jessica Webb and Darla Dee Page, contestants can compete at 6 p.m. for a chance to win the title of Grandma Down Home Days (ages 50 and up), Ms./Mrs. Down Home Days (ages 19-50), and Miss Down Home Days (ages 19-26). Other categories include Teen (ages 16-18) and Junior (ages 13-15). Beginning earlier in the day, at 3 p.m., younger contestants can compete for the Young Miss Down Home Days (ages 10-12), Little Miss Down Home Days (ages 7-9), and Tiny Miss Down Home Days (ages 4-6). Other categories include Teeny (ages 2-3) and Baby (0-23 months). During the pageant, contestants ages 10 and up will be required to give an on-stage speech of why they love living in Madison County. The speech must not exceed two minutes.
All contestants must reside in Madison County and must meet age requirements as of Saturday, April 14. Pageant attire for all age groups will be casual with black bottoms (pants/shorts/capris) and shoes of the contestant’s choice. A coordinating t-shirt to wear during the pageant will be provided. All contestants must arrive at the pageants fully dressed, as there will be no dressing room available. Makeup must be age appropriate. All contestants must check-in 30 minutes before their proper event time. The stage will not be open for practice on the day of the pageant.
One contestant in each age group will receive the title of Queen, first runner-up, second runner-up, photogenic (glitz or natural), prettiest smile and best speech. One contestant will be awarded Charity Queen for raising the most donations beyond their entry fee for the Rural Area Theatre Troop Pact (RATTpact), the local community theatre group in Madison County. All contestants will receive a goody bag, with gifts from local businesses.
One contestant who receives the most likes on their Facebook photo entry will also receive the People's Choice award. To enter to win the People's Choice award, each contestant may submit one photo to be posted publicly for the competition. Entry fee must be paid to submit a photo. The earlier a photo is posted in the contest, the more time available for “likes.” All “likes” must be made to the original post to count. The contestant with the most “likes” by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 13 will win the People’s Choice award.
A reception/registration will be held on Friday, April 13, beginning at 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The stage will be open for practice. Charity Queen donations must be turned in at registration, along with all applications/biographies that were not already turned in. Event t-shirts must be picked up at this time as well.
To enter as a spectator, tickets may be purchased by visiting www.mainstreetmad-isonfl.com or at A Main Street Realty. Tickets are $5 per person in advance and $8 per person at the door. One ticket is valid for either the 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. pageant. One ticket is not valid for access to both pageants. All proceeds will be donated to the RATTpact of Madison, to bring awareness of local community theatre and arts in Madison County and the surrounding areas. In conjunction with the theme of this year's annual Madison Down Home Days Festival, we encourage all to "Come Grow with Us" by supporting local businesses, schools, community service organizations and groups, and all who work together to make Madison amazing.
To enter as a contestant, there is an entry fee of $50 per contestant. There will a $10 discount applied to each additional sibling/daughter(s) in Teen (ages 16-18). The entry fee must be paid by Tuesday, April 10. Late entries are $65 and are for entries received after Tuesday, April 10 (sibling discount will not apply). The entry fee can be paid via PayPal to darladee1980@gm-ail.com or at A Main Street Realty, located at 186 SW Range Ave., in Madison. Make checks payable to The Main Street Playhouse (there is a $40 returned check fee).
For more information or to get a pageant application, you may call Darla Page at (850) 673-1480.