Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Mark your calendars, because one of the largest events Jefferson County has to offer is almost here! In just a few short days, the Watermelon Festival events will begin, launched by the much-anticipated Watermelon Pageant.
This year marks the 72nd Annual Watermelon Festival held by the Monticello-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, and this year's festival theme is “Home Grown Happiness.” The festivities will include fan-favorites like the Annual Bed Race, Kick-off Dinner, Vendor Village, Pickle Ball Tournament, Watermelon Crawl, the parade and so much more.
With all the excitement ahead, it all begins with the Watermelon Pageant, which will determine who will be crowned this year's Watermelon Royalty, and will set the stage for countless events and activities 
during the two-week-long festival. It all begins on Saturday, June 3, as Jefferson County's very own children and polished young women take to the stage at the old Jefferson County School Auditorium for a chance to become a part of the “royal family.” Come out and show the young contestants your support on the morning of June 3, at 10 a.m., and follow up that evening with the second pageant, which features the older contestants at 5 p.m. Tickets for each event can be purchased online or at the door.
The First Watermelon Pageant, at 10 a.m., will begin with the “Little Miss and Mister” category, featuring ages 5-7 years. This year's Little Miss and Mister contestants are: Jace Johnson, Kylie Alexander, Catherine Lastinger, Lynlee Miller, Bailey Jane Protheroe, Catherine Walker and Hazel Jean White.
Next will come the “Junior Princess” category for girls aged 8-10 years old. Contestants for the 2023 Junior Princess Pageant are: Amrys Bishop, Milly Eleanor Brimmer, Taylor Denton, Scarlet Dolan, Fiona Hall, Georgia Kimbrel, Rylan Rabon, Charlotte Walker and Addyson Wheeler.
Then the “Princess” category, for young ladies aged 11-12 years old, will take the stage. This year's Princess contestants are: Arianna Brown, Savannah Dawkins, Molly McNeill, Olivia Miller and Chloe Pitts.
Contestants in these pageant categories will compete in a formal wear pageant competition and will be judged on their attire and smiles. After the initial pageant, each contestant will be asked a personality-based question and will be given points based on the quality of their answer. The contestants earning the highest score from the judges will win the royalty title in their category. There will be a First Place, Second Place, Third Place and Runner-Up in each category.
The day of elegant pageantry continues at 5 p.m., as the contestants for the Miss and Junior Miss Watermelon Queen charm the audience in the hopes of winning the crowning titles. This year's Junior Miss Watermelon Queen category will feature ladies aged 13-15 and the Miss Watermelon Queen category will feature ladies aged 16-20.
This year's Junior Miss Watermelon Queen contestants are: Ashlee Holm, Chrissy Lastinger, Harper “Mae” McNeill, Linda Smith and Maggie Walker.
This year’s Miss Watermelon Queen contestants are: Kiley Donaldson, Lily Hall, Riley Hamrick and Lena Sullivan.
The pageant will begin with a performance, which is customary for the beginning of the Miss and Junior Miss Pageant. This year's opening number will be a creative walkthrough of Jefferson County highlighting local businesses and services.
Each contestant will then be given two to four minutes on stage to perform a talent show segment. Each contestant will choose for themselves what talent they wish to show the audience and must showcase said talent within the allotted time frame. After the talent segment is completed, the evening will transition to one of refinement, poise and elegance as the Miss and Junior Miss contestants don their best evening gowns and take to the stage once more to show their grace in their evening gown walk and to answer a personal interview question.
This year's pageant will be emceed by Roslyn Joyner Bass and Richard Watt.
While a good portion of their scoring depends on how each contestant performs during the Pageant, they will also be scored on how each contestant presented herself during a tea and interview session hosted by the Jefferson County Historical Association at the Wirick-Simmons House.
Once the judges have deliberated, awards will be given and the new 2023 Watermelon Festival royalty will be announced and crowned by last year's 2022 Junior Miss Watermelon Queen, Lauren Davis,
This year, the 2023 Miss Watermelon Queen will be presented with a $2,000 scholarship, which is being sponsored this year by Florida Power. The first runner-up will receive a $500 scholarship, gifted by Altrussa International, of Florida.
Special awards will also be presented for Best Personal Showcase/Talent, Best Evening Gown and Miss Congeniality.
New this year is a “People’s Choice Award” for the best historical promotional video of Jefferson County. For each video, contestants were asked to choose a historical landmark, in Jefferson County, and present its history and facts. All contestants’ videos have now been uploaded and are available for viewing and voting. To view the videos, log on to and click the link.
With all of the excitement of the Watermelon Festival ahead, you are not going to want to miss the kick-off event of the year! General Admission for each of this year's Watermelon Pageants is just $5 per pageant, and children aged three and under are free. VIP seating is also available for just $15 per pageant, which will claim seating in coveted Rows A-F in the center section of the Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased on the Watermelon Festival website at Monticellowatermelonfestival. com. For more information, contact the Executive Director of the Chamber, Katrina Richardson at (850) 997-5552.
Blue Sky Farms will be on-site during the pageant and will have a flower cart, with market flowers, available for purchase during both pageants.
Mark your calendars for this Saturday, June 3, and come out to support this year's potential Watermelon royalty! We will see you there, Monticello!
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