by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
The local competitions for the Miss Connecticut crown are off and running this Saturday as the contest for the next Miss Wolcott is held – live and in-person — after a two year absence.
From 2019, Gia Iwanec, left, Jillian Duffy and Monika Korbusieski celebrate being crowned at the Miss Wolcott competition. After two years off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Miss Wolcott competition will take place Saturday evening at Wolcott High School.
The Miss Wolcott organization, which is part of the Miss America family of competitions, was on a roll at the end of 2019.
The Miss Wolcott that year, Jillian Duffy, had been crowned Miss Connecticut during the summer. In December at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Duffy reached the top five at Miss America. The result was one of the best showings of a state titleholder in recent memory.
2020 could have been a banner year for the 50-year-old-plus organization.
Then COVID-19 took over and the nation was put on lockdown.
Social distancing and masking were the key words of the day after March 2020.
As the pandemic seemed to rage on, and a vaccine was still a wish rather than a reality, the Miss Wolcott competition for 2020 was iced.
The pandemic subsided enough for the Miss Connecticut organization to hold its state competition earlier this year. But the Miss Wolcott competition— and all local competitions in Connecticut leading up to the state competition – were canceled.
But, after a two year break, contestants once again will be singing, dancing and more toward a crown and sash.
However, there will be changes to the Miss Wolcott tradition that reflect the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the surge in the Delta variant.
“Adjustments definitely had to be made to follow COVID-19 guidelines,” said Michele Kerski, the executive director of Miss Wolcott.
For example, the executive director said, seating will be at a limited capacity. “Contestants are also required to wear face coverings during any point of the competition when they are in a group.’
However, said Kerski, “After not doing anything for almost two years, it is almost surreal to be gathering again for our Miss Wolcott competition.”
“It is also a little nerve racking as we take all measures possible to keep our candidates, volunteers and audience members safe,” said the executive director.
This will be the 51st competition for Miss Wolcott because of the two years of competition that were missed due to COVID, said Kerski.
“The Wolcott Exchange Club hosted the first pageant in 1969 and have continued their support throughout the years,” explained Kerski. “Not having Miss Wolcott these past years was definitely sad.”
“In addition to consistently holding the competition,” said Kerski. “The community support and involvement in the town have always been so very important, so it was different to not have Miss Wolcott as a staple in town as well.”
Attendees of the competition will see the contestants in the Miss category compete in talent as well as onstage question categories. Contestants also will be judged as they walk a red carpet on stage in an outfit of their choice and make a statement about a cause that is special to them. Teens also will compete in talent and onstage stage questions. However, they also will walk for judges in evening gown and athletic wear.
There will be six women competing for the title of Miss Wolcott 2022 and three young women competing to be crowned Miss Wolcott’s Outstanding Teen 2022.
A part of the ceremony of the Miss Wolcott competition is that the reigning title holder will pass the crown and sash to her successor. However, since two years have passed since the last titleholders were selected, Kerski said there will be no one giving up a crown. However, the last titleholders for the Miss Wolcott organization— Duffy, Miss Farmingbury’s Outstanding Teen 2019 Gia Iwanec and Miss Wolcott’s Outstanding Teen 2019 Monika Korbusieski— will all be involved in the production on Saturday.
The woman who will be crowned Miss Wolcott could have the opportunity to compete for Miss America in her home state if she wins Miss Connecticut next year. (The date for the state competition has not been announced.) The Miss America competition will be held in Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena for the next three years. The competition was held in the state for the first time in 2019 after the event moved from its birthplace of Atlantic City, N.J.
The Miss America competition will be held in Uncasville beginning on Dec. 12 and ending with the finals on Dec. 16.
“We are thrilled to have our state candidate compete for the second time in our home state, especially since the first time, our Miss Connecticut (Duffy) placed fourth runner up and was a Miss Wolcott,” said Kerski.
Heading into this December’s national competition, Kerski said, “We are very excited to support Sapna (Raghavan), our current Miss Connecticut, as she represents our host state.”
The Miss Wolcott competition will be Saturday at 6 p.m. at Wolcott High School, 457 Boundline Road. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at 25188.recitalticketing.com or at the door