Thorsby’s Swedish Festival Beauty Pageant has been held more than 20 years–and grown significantly.

“It’s gotten a lot bigger,” Marika Porter said. “This will be my eighth years as a director, and it has doubled since we started doing it.”

Organizers expect to have about 100 participants, as they did last year.

With the event having enjoyed so much success, there’s been no need to make drastic changes. However, the Junior division this year will have its pageant on Monday, instead of Tuesday like in the past.

Porter said many of the Junior participants are junior varsity cheerleaders, and JV teams typically play on Tuesday nights.

The pageant will be held Oct. 6 and 7 at the Thorsby High School auditorium.

Registration will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Helen Jenkins Chapel, across from the school.

Participants will need to bring two wallet-sized photos, the $75 entry fee and entry form to registration.

Baby photogenic contest entries, and the entry fee of $20, will also need to be turned in during registration.

Children ages newborn to 24 months are eligible to participate.

The regular pageant entry fee of $75 includes participation in the photogenic contests for those respective age groups. Participants can be sponsored by local businesses or individuals.

The wallet-sized photos submitted at registration should be head shots and of the same pose. The photo must have been taken within the year. Names and age, and sponsor if applicable, should be included on the back of each photo.

Ads will also have to be turned in on the 14th, and pageant participants will receive their complimentary T-shirts.

Baby Miss Photogenic photos will appear in the Swedish Festival program. Judges will select one winner, which will be announced at the Oct. 6 pageant.

The winner will also be introduced with the Swedish Festival Queens at the festival at Richard Wood Park on Oct. 11

The Tiny (ages 2-4) and Junior (12-15) pageants will be held on Oct. 6, while the Little (5-7), Young (8-11) and Miss (16-19) queens will be crowned on Oct. 7.

The pageants will begin at 6 p.m. each evening.

Junior and Miss participants will perform an opening number. Each girl will wear a royal blue shirt and jeans for the opening numbers.

Practice will be held Oct. 2 at the following times: Junior from 3:30-5 p.m., Miss from 5-6:30 p.m., Tiny from 6:30-7 p.m., Little from 7-7:30 p.m. and Young from 7:30-8 p.m.

Girls will need to wear their pageant T-shirts at practice, with denim jeans, capris or shorts. A group photo will be taken at practice.

There will be a queen and four alternates for pageant divisions and one photogenic winner.

Tiny, Little, and Young Contestants must be in their designated dressing room and completely ready by 5:50 p.m.

Junior and Miss Contestants must be in their dressing room wearing their royal blue tops and jeans by 5:15 p.m.

Queens will ride in Thorsby’s Swedish Fest Parade on Oct. 11 on a furnished float.

Alternates are welcome to be in the parade but must furnish their own ride. Queens will wear evening gowns in the parade with sash and crown. Queens will be introduced at the Swedish Fest during the opening ceremonies following the parade.

Queens will be required to make several appearances throughout the year. They are also required to participate in fundraising for Relay For Life, Angel Tree (Christmas program for underprivileged children), the Dearl Hilyer Memorial Scholarship and other local charities.

“They do a lot of community service,” Porter said.

Queens will not be allowed to participate in any other county pageants during their reign.

Queens in each division will receive a monogrammed sash, rhinestone crown pin, flowers and crown, and gifts from local businesses.

Admission at the door will be $5 per person.

For more information, call Porter at 287-1263.