Siloam Springs Dogwood Festival

18 • 2022 Dogwood Festival One of the highlights of the Dogwood Festival is the annual pageant in which young girls and women compete to wear the coveted crown and sash. Young boys up to nine years of age have their own competition as well. It's a great community effort where proud parents and family friends come out to cheer on their favorite contestant. "This is only my second year actually running the festival pageant and I am having so much fun," said Toni Lindsay, who runs the Miss Dogwood competition in the fall, one of 46 preliminaries that lead into the Miss Arkansas competition. The Dogwood Festival Pageant, however, is not part of the Miss Arkansas competition. Winners do not go on to compete further. It's a community event that is part of the fun-filled Dogwood Festival weekend. The festival pageant is designed for girls and young women from newborn up to 25 years of age, divided into nine different divisions. The boys compete in three different divisions that cover ages newborn to 9 years old. "Division winners will receive a crown and sash. They will also be asked to ride in the Siloam Springs Christmas Parade on the first Saturday in December," Toni said. "Division Alternates will receive certificates. Junior Miss, Teen Miss and Miss will also receive their entry fee paid to compete in the Miss Dogwood and Dogwood Outstanding Teen Pageants (if eligible) to be held in the Fall of 2022. These are official preliminaries to Miss Arkansas and Miss Arkansas Outstanding Teen." The applications themselves make a point of saying "This is NOT a Glitz Pageant!" They encourage every contestant to remain as natural as possible. If a girl or young woman chooses to wear makeup, the festival wants it to be understated and feature enhancing, not your traditional beauty contest cosmetic presentation. The attire worn during the competition should be their "Sunday Best" or an outfit that they would wear to a nice event. Their outfit should compliment their personality. No flashy, expensive dresses or outfits. Toni feels the festival pageant is a very positive thing for the participants. "Any time a young person can be on stage and get that exposure and confidence building experience it's a good thing," she pointed out. "Just getting out of your comfort zone is a really character building thing. You get to compete and maybe win a title and ride in the Christmas parade, it's a really fun growing experience." Toni herself participated in pageants when she was young and feels it helped build her confidence and grow into a more self-assured adult. "The tangible and intangible things you gain from participating in a pageant, you just can't put a price on it. For job interviews or public speaking, I think this sort of thing really helps prepare our young men and women for life." The Dogwood Pageant is on Saturday, April 23, at 10:00 a.m. Check in no later than 9:45 a.m. 2022 annual Dogwood Festival Pageant showcases the best of Siloam Springs' next generation From newborns on up to 25 years of age, entrants are welcome to compete in the Dogwood Pageant. • Baby Miss Dogwood Festival (0-11 months) • Toddler Miss Dogwood Festival (12-23 months) • Teeny Miss Dogwood Festival (2-3 years) • Baby Mr. Dogwood Festival (0-2 years MALE) • Tiny Miss Dogwood Festival (4-6 years) • Tiny Mr. Dogwood Festival (3-5 years MALE) • Little Miss Dogwood Festival (7-9 years) • Little Mr. Dogwood Festival (6-9 years MALE) • PreTeen Miss Dogwood Festival (10-12 years) • Junior Miss Dogwood Festival (13-15 years) • Teen Miss Dogwood Festival (16-18 years) • Miss Dogwood Festival (19-25 years)

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