HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) July 12, 2021 – Mississippi’s Miss Hospitality contestants arrived in Hattiesburg Sunday ahead of the 2021 competition.
After last year’s partially virtual pageant, this year’s competition is back in full effect for a week jam-packed with events and activities.
“So it’s really good to see everyone’s smiles with no mask and to experience the whole week, get to know each other and make good memories for the rest of our lives,” said reigning Miss Hospitality McKay Lee Bray.
Bray will be passing her crown down to the winner Saturday night. She said it will be a very bittersweet moment her.
“I’m very excited for the next girl who gets crowed because, it does, it goes by very fast. So my advice to them was cherish and live in the right here, right now because it’s gone before you know it,” Bray said.
Bay Springs’ own Dalakin Crawford is taking Bray’s advice to heart.
“When we leave, we’ll all have the memories,” Crawford said. “So regardless of who wins, we’ll all leave with something. So we’re just going to enjoy the moment.”
Jones County’s Rivers Johnson is one person who is taking full advantage of the moment, especially because this is her first pageant.
“I’ve actually never done a pageant before,” Johnson said. “This is my first time, and I really didn’t do it to do the pageantry portion of it. I wanted to make connections, meet new people and really grow as a person overall.”
The competition is divided up into three separate nights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. You can view the schedule below:
Thursday
- Preliminary Competition Night #1 from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the historic Saenger Theater. Group A will compete in 20 second commercial and evening gown.
Friday
- Autograph Party at Turtle Creek Mall from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. (Ulta/Chuck E. Cheese entrance). Meet the 2021 contestants, their little misses and the 2020 Mississippi Miss Hospitality McKay Lee Bray. This is a public and free event.
- Preliminary Competition Night #2 from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the historic Saenger Theater. Group B will compete in 20 second commercial and evening gown. Preliminary awards announced and top 3 Mississippi speech, top ad sales, social media challenge and winner and most photogenic.
Saturday
- Farewell Brunch from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Thad Cochran Center at the University of Southern Mississippi. Presentations by reigning Miss Hospitality McKay Lee Bray and top 3 Mississippi speech winners.
- Final night of competition from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Historic Saenger Theater. Awards announced: Spirit of Miss Hospitality (voted by contestants), top 10, top 5 and 2021 Mississippi Hospitality winner.
You can purchase tickets to the competition here.
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