The Miss New Jersey Pageant will be held for the 18th time in Ocean City with four days of events from June 11 to 14.
All 24 contestants will participate in a free parade on the Ocean City Boardwalk starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday (June 11).
The parade runs from Fifth Street to 14th Street on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Contestants dress in colorful costumes and show their shoes as in the Miss America Pageant Parade in Atlantic City.
The parade also includes marching bands and other floats and entries.
Preliminary competitions including talent, evening gown and swimsuit will be held Thursday (June 12) and Friday (June 13) at 7 p.m. on the Ocean City Music Pier (Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace). The new Miss New Jersey will be crowned after a 7 p.m. finals competition on Saturday (June 14) back at the Music Pier.
The winner will represent New Jersey at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in September.
Ocean City will be represented in the Miss New Jersey Pageant by Devon Vanderslice, a former Miss Ocean City, who now attends West Chester State University. Vanderslice is a dancer whose platform is organ donation, "Donate the Gift of Life."
Another Ocean City High School alum, Sarah Ford of Seaville, a former Little Miss and Junior Miss Ocean City, also will compete. Her talent is dance, her platform is "Smiles Save: Healing through Hospital Volunteerism." She attends the University of Pittsburgh. She was No. 1 (top grade-point average) in the Class of 2012 at Ocean City.
Ticket prices are $35 for preliminaries and $50 for the final. For tickets, call (609) 315-1423.
