Wayne Allen | Daily Times
Audrey Bolte, competing as Miss Batavia, was crowned Miss Ohio USA 2012 last year at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. She is being crowned by Miss Ohio USA 2011 Ashley Caldwell and Miss Ohio Teen USA 2011 Morgan Smigel.
Wayne Allen
PDT Staff Writer
The 2013 Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA pageants are set to return to Portsmouth this weekend for its 12th consecutive year at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. According to Kim Bauer, local pageant director there will be an estimated 105 contestants between the two pageants this year.
“A lot of people don’t realize, this is not just a beauty pageant, there is a $45,000 scholarship to Lindenwood University that goes to the top 15,” Bauer said.
Bauer said all of the contestants attended an orientation in October in Portsmouth that served as an introduction to the pageant, for new contestants.
She said the orientation and the pageant brings some economic development to the area.
“The crew will come in on Wednesday and stay until Sunday, a lot of the parents come in on Wednesday or Thursday to get a feel for the area,” Bauer said.
According to Bauer, most visitors during their stay will eat and shop locally.
She said it’s difficult to find a hotel room in the Portsmouth area the weekend of the pageants.
Audrey Bolte, Miss Batavia is Miss Ohio USA 2012 and Kendall Fein, Miss Southern Ohio is Miss Ohio Teen USA 2012.
Bolte was the second runner-up to Miss USA 2012 and Fein was fourth runner-up to Miss Teen USA 2012.
Bauer said residents of the area should expect an influx of people in town this weekend.
“We still have a few tickets left for the pageants but, they are going quickly. A lot of people wait to see what the weather is going to be like before they make the decision to come down. Right now, it looks like it’s going to be a good weekend,” Bauer said.
The 2013 Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA Presentation Show will take place on Friday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. in the VRCFA, with the final show taking place on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m.
A list of local contestants was not made available by the pageant at press time.
For more information about the 2013 Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA visit www.missohiousa.com or www.missohioteenusa.com.
For ticket availability, call the McKinley Box Office at (740) 351-3600, e-mail boxoffice@sopaa.org or visit ticketmaster.com.
Wayne Allen may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 208, or wallen@heartlandpublications.com.
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