Barnesville Pumpkin Festival searching for 2023 royalty
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BARNESVILLE -- The Barnesville Pumpkin Festival is seeking applicants for this year's royalty pageant and the 2023 Pumpkin Baby Contest.
The Pumpkin Baby Contest will be sponsored by the Barnesville Mother's Club, and babies from birth to age 2 are eligible for the competition.
Registration will take place on Aug. 15 from 5-7 p.m. at the Mother's Club at Barnesville Memorial Park. Parents or guardians should bring a wallet-sized photo of the contestant.
Parents will be given raffle tickets to sell in their quest to have their baby become the next Pumpkin Baby. Contestants selling the most tickets will be named the winner at the First Christian Church New Life Center at 219 West Church St. Barnesville on Sept. 21. For more information contact Lora Wildes at 740-391-1984.
The Barnesville Pumpkin Festival will be holding its annual Queen, Princess and Mini Miss Pageant on Sept. 17, at Barnesville High School. Areas of competition include private interviews with a panel of judges, evening gown modeling and the contestants' choice of a talent presentation.
Age divisions are Mini Miss 6 through 9 years old, Princess 10-13 years old and Queen 14-19 years old. The organization will award a winner and two runner-ups per age division.
Everyone who enters the competition will receive a gift for participating, and the winners will receive a rhinestone crown, a signature gold sash, a bouquet of flowers, a ceramic pumpkin trophy, cash awards and more.
Participants do not have to be residents of Barnesville or the Barnesville area. Autumn Kessler, a member of the festival committee who oversees the royalty, said that the festival committee welcomes everyone to compete in the pageant.
"We've had girls from the Canton area, Marietta and as far out as Columbus participate. We've also seen some girls come from West Virginia since we're close to the border," she said.
The Barnesville Pumpkin Festival annual pageant will be held on Sept. 17 at the Barnesville High School Auditorium. Doors will open for contestants at 9:30 a.m., and rehearsals and interviews will begin at 10:30 a.m. Kessler said that the interviews help the judges learn about each contestant's personality and their ability to speak in front of a crowd.
Doors will open to the general public at 3 p.m. The talent show will begin at 4 p.m.
"We encourage the contestants to get as creative as possible with their talent," Kessler said.
In previous pageants, Kessler said that she has seen contestants dance, sing, play musical instruments, cook, speed paint, model outfits, speak a monologue and show off their basketball skills.
The contestants will walk and pose in long evening gowns for the final portion of the pageant.
"The gowns don't have to be super sparkly or expensive. We're mainly looking to see how confident the girls are walking in a long gown," Kessler said.
Seating will be general admission only with no saved seating prior to doors opening. Tickets can be purchased at the door with cash only for $5. Contestants will not need a ticket.
The winners must attend various events during the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival. At least one winner (Queen, Princess, or Mini Miss) will be present at the giant pumpkin weigh-ins on Sept. 20 before the festival. All three winners will attend the opening ceremonies and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 21. All Queen, Princess and Mini Miss winners and runners-up must also attend the Queen's Luncheon and the Pumpkin Parade on Sept. 23. A float will be provided for the winners and runners-up to ride on during the parade.
Kessler said that the winners will also go to different festivals across Ohio to promote the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival. She said that the winners will have the opportunity to meet royalty from other festivals and highlight their favorite parts of the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival.
The outgoing royalty are Mini Miss Harmony Hildebrand, Princess Bre'lan Schnegg and Queen Madelyn Skinner.
Contestants for the pageant must register and submit a $75 entry fee by Sept. 1 at barnesvillepumpkinfestival.com. Checks can be made out to "Barnesville Pumpkin Festival" and sent by mail to 233 County Road 2 Rayland, OH 43943. For more information, contact Kessler by emailing BarnesvillePumpkinPageant@yahoo.com or calling or texting 740-827-4664.