by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many traditional events to change their plans. The events either have been cancelled for 2020 or postponed till later in the year.
The Miss Connecticut Scholarship Pageant, which was planned for June, has now been rescheduled for Aug. 22 and 23.
As the dates of the competition have changed for Miss Connecticut, so has the location. This year, the scholarship event will be returning to the Mohegan Sun, where it had been held prior to setting down stakes at The Palace Theater in Waterbury these past few years. The event will be held in the Cabaret at the Sun, which hosted the Miss America pageant in December.
In August, Lewis Mills High School alumnus Jillian Duffy, will pass on her Miss Connecticut title. Woodbury’s Lindiana Frangu will crown her successor as Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Miss Connecticut to cancel all of its local competitions, such as Miss Greater Waterbury, Miss Wolcott, and Miss Greater Watertown, said Nakiya Troth, the executive director for the organization.
Thus far, only the Miss Greater Rockville competition had been held. That event was won by Wolcott’s Leah Juliett.
Candidates this year, in both the Miss category and the Outstanding Teen category, will be “at large,” meaning they will not have won a local competition to represent a particular community. When the women who step forward to compete appear before judges, they will be identified by numbers rather than Miss Farmingbury or similar titles.
Although the dates of the event have been changed in light of COVID-19, Troth said the women will be judged as they have been in the past. Categories for the competition include talent and private interview.
Right now, said Troth, the organization has several women who already have applied to compete. More applications are still being accepted prior to the May 15 deadline.
In light of the pandemic, Troth said the Miss America and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen national offices have been “wonderful” with their guidance to the state organizations as to how to move forward for 2020.
“We have had constant updates, conference calls and support as well to navigate through these uncharted waters,” said Troth.
“At this time, most states have postponed their state competitions until July or later with the help and support of both national offices,” said Troth.
“The safety of our candidates and supporters is the priority,” said Troth.
The national Outstanding Teen competition typically would be held in July and August. However, if held as scheduled, the national competition would have occurred prior to the rescheduled Connecticut event.
However, Troth said the national teen event also will be rescheduled although no decision has been made on the date.
The Miss America pageant, which was held in Connecticut in 2019, also has not been scheduled. The Miss America location has yet to be determined either. Miss America will be celebrating its centennial in 2020.
Anyone interested in competing in Miss Connecticut can email compete@missct.org.