Miss Apple Festival Scholarship Pageant

Sunday, September 15, 2024 2:00PM - 5:00PM

2023 Miss Apple Festival
Lilly Rudolph

Sponsored by J.T. Blankinship, Inc.

The Miss Apple Festival Scholarship Pageant is one of the oldest and longest-running events of the Murphysboro Apple Festival. Each year, one young lady is chosen to represent Murphysboro and the Apple Festival at several events all across Southern Illinois. THOUSANDS of dollars in scholarship money is awarded each year as well as many other gifts. All contestants attend and participate in several events during the Festival, including the Queen's Tea, entertainment at the Appletime Stage, and Grand Parade.

*2023 Queen Contestants pose for a photo op before the Grand Parade*

SCHOLARSHIPS

In 2023, the following scholarships were awarded to the top three contestants:

$3,500 awarded to the Queen
$1,000 awarded to the 1st Runner-Up
$800 awarded to the 2nd Runner-Up

Also, we will once again be awarding two additional scholarships!

$200 Miss Congeniality prize, provided by White House Salon
$200 Miss Photogenic prize, provided by Baker Family Dentistry

The Miss Photogenic prize is voted on by you, the public! The contestant with the most votes after the contest has ended will be named Miss Photogenic and be awarded the prize.
Click HERE to be taken to the voting page.
*NOTE: Voting is free. You may only vote one time for one contestant. Email verification is required to vote. Email addresses collected will only be used for verification purposes.*

*Pictured, from left: 2023 1st Runner-up, Sophie Smelter; 2022 Queen Savannah Neef; 2023 Queen Lilly Rudolph; 2023 2nd Runner-Up & Miss Photogenic, Abbigail Boucher*

Tickets for the Miss Apple Festival Scholarship Pageant are $8.00 and will be available online through Eventbrite. Buy early and pick your seats! Any unsold seats will be available for purchase at the door.
Click the button below to purchase tickets:
*Note: you will be taken to an outside page*

Eventbrite Pageant Tickets

2023 Miss Apple Festival Runners-Up & Prize Winners

2024 Miss Apple Festival Contestants

Click on each photo to enlarge

Sophie Smelter, 18
*Sponsored by*
Let's Put a Bow On It

Brought to you by

MISS APPLE FESTIVAL PAGEANT

WHERE: Murphysboro High School Performing Arts Center

WHEN: Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 2:00 PM

EVENT CHAIRS: Gaye Youngman, Patty Thrailkill, Jessica White, & Kelly Lattan

Tickets are $8 and are available to purchase through Eventbrite. Tickets will also be available to purchase at the door.

Purchase Pageant Tickets

Click HERE to vote for Miss Photogenic (COMING SOON!)

RULES & REGULATIONS

Contestant must be female and a permanent resident of Jackson County or be a student or graduate of a Jackson County high school at the time of application.
Contestant shall not be younger than 17 (seventeen) or older than 20 (twenty) years of age at the time of the pageant. Contestants younger than 18 (eighteen) years of age must have the written consent of a parent/guardian.
Contestant/Reigning Miss Apple Festival must be single, never married, never divorced, not had a marriage annulled, never pregnant, nor given birth to a child, and must be of good moral character.
Contestant/Miss Apple Festival may not compete in another pageant nor hold another pageant title at the time of the pageant or during her reign as queen.
Contestant agrees to have photographs taken at the discretion of the Murphysboro Apple Festival and the Queen's Committee. It is understood that these photographs may be used in any manner related to the Murphysboro Apple Festival.
The contestant chosen as the 2024 Miss Apple Festival agrees to be available to reign over the 2025 Murphysboro Apple Festival and make all personal appearances during her reign arranged by the Murphysboro Apple Festival Committee and/or the Queen's Committee.
If for any reason the winning contestant becomes incapable of performing her duties or is deemed ineligible according to the rules and regulations outlined here in the opinion of the Murphysboro Apple Festival, she will relinquish her title and remaining scholarship money. The runner-up will then be named Miss Apple Festival, provided she is qualified. In the event the runner-up is not qualified to serve as Miss Apple Festival, the Murphysboro Apple Festival reserves the right to use the immediate past Miss Apple Festival to fulfill the duties of Queen.
Winning contestants must provide proof of enrollment or registration at a college or university to the Murphysboro Apple Festival to receive scholarship money. Scholarship money awarded to Miss Apple Festival will be paid upon completion of her reign.
Contestants will be judged in these areas of competition: swimsuit, evening gown, private interview, and on-stage speaking.
Contestants must have a sponsor, limited to one (1), at a sponsorship fee of $100.
The decision of the judges is final.
The Murphysboro Apple Festival reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.

Click below to download a copy of these rules with a paper application form