Contestants vying for the title of Miss Mississippi and Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen will be arriving in Vicksburg this weekend for their respective orientations.

“The orientations are where the girls first get together as a class and learn about what is going to happen this summer during the pageants,” Miss Mississippi executive board secretary Earl Edris said.

Events will include dance rehearsals, wardrobe fittings, T.V. and radio interviews and photo shoots.

“Contestants will also learn what to expect if they are crowned Miss Mississippi or Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen,” Edris said.

This year, 49 contestants will be competing for the title of Miss Mississippi and 28 teens will be vying for the MMOT title, which means the economic impact from the pageant will be benefitting the city before the actual competitions are held, executive director of the Miss Mississippi Pageant David Blackledge said.

“The pageant is not just for the summer. We are bringing in a lot of people for the entire orientation weekend and will be a nice little economic boom for our city,” Blackledge said.

In addition to those competing in both the Miss Mississippi and MMOT pageants, the orientation weekend will bring in the contestants’ family and friends, their local directors and the princes and princesses and their families, which will number in the hundreds.

Orientation for those competing in the Miss Mississippi Pageant will begin 5 p.m. Friday.

Orientation for the teens starts at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Both orientations will be held at Hinds Community College in Vicksburg.

Speakers for the Miss Mississippi Pageant orientation will include Blackledge, Miss Mississippi Anne Elizabeth Buys and Jaynie Fedell, who will be serving as producer of the Miss Mississippi Pageant. 

Speakers for the MMOT Pageant orientation include MMOT executive director Winky Freeman, MMOT Holly Brand and Jennifer Tillotson, producer of the teen pageant.

From 5 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, a crowning ceremony for the Petite Magnolia princesses will be held at HCC. This event is open to the public. An MMOT autograph party will follow from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Outlets at Vicksburg, 4000 S. Frontage Road.

The Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Pageant will be held April 28 through 29

The first preliminary competition is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29 with the second to follow at 7:30 p.m.

The final day of competition and crowning will begin at 2 p.m., April 29. All competitions will be held at the Vicksburg Auditorium, 901 Monroe St., and tickets are $75 for all three competitions.

The Miss Mississippi Pageant preliminary competitions are scheduled to run from June 20 through 22 with the final night of competition and crowning on June 23.

Competitions will begin at 8 p.m. at the Vicksburg Convention Center and tickets for all four nights are $125.

Tickets for both pageants are available by calling 601-638-6746 or visiting the Miss Mississippi Pageant website.