HIGH POINT, N.C. — After being traditionally held in Raleigh, the Miss North Carolina competition will be in High Point later this month.
The 83rd Miss North Carolina will be crowned in front of a full audience at the High Point Theatre on June 26.
The Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen competition will also be held during the same time.
Both pageants were cancelled last year due to the pandemic.
This year's return comes with safety top of mind.
"They're going to be very safe and cautious throughout this whole process. We don't want girls to have to wait two years to get here and then completely throw everything out the window once they arrive," Miss North Carolina 2019 Alexandra Badgett said.
The competition will be shorter than years past, and the teen and miss portions will be kept separate. Teens will compete during the day and miss candidates will take over the stage at night.
The theatre will recommend masks, but not require them for the audience.
A final decision has not been made concerning contestants and masks.
Badgett has had a unique reign, holding the title longer than any other in history, but said she is ready to pass along the crown.
"I am so, so incredibly proud of all the girls that are competing. They've been waiting, some almost two years for this moment. I know for the longest time a lot of us were like, are we going to have to do this pageant virtually," Badgett said.
This is also a huge win for the theatre. It's their first big event since December 2019, and they'll be open at full capacity with all 900 seats up for grabs.
Tickets go on sale Thursday, June 3. Both competitions will be held June 24-26 with crowning on the last day.
Whoever becomes Miss North Carolina 2021 will go on to compete in the 100th Miss America competition.