The 60th Annual Dogwood Trail Pageant is Saturday

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The 60th Annual Dogwood Trail Pageant and Scholarship Program, sponsored by the Eastern Shore Optimist Club, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the Fairhope Civic Center. Thirty-four participants are vying for one of six slots on The Dogwood Trail Court for the 2020-2021 year.

This year's theme, “Sensational Sixties,” is spotlighted in the creative introduction segment of the program.  Get ready to be entertained by the participants as they help us celebrate our sixtieth birthday by bringing to life memories of the sixties. 

The Dogwood Trail Pageant and Scholarship Committee is excited to celebrate 60 years of service to our community this year. Over the years, the program has provided not only welcoming ambassadors to our community, but it has also given hundreds of young women the opportunity to enhance their leadership and public speaking skills and to reinforce the importance of public service.

“We believe it is important for young women of today to embrace their potential,” Executive Program Director JoAnn Broadus said. “This program enables participants to grow and to realize the strength and skills they all have within them. We celebrate 60 years of service and opportunities to elevate these young leaders in our community.”

Pageant participants must be high school sophomores or juniors living on the Eastern Shore with a 2.5 or higher-grade point average. Participants in the 60th Annual Dogwood Pageant are pictured below with their names and creative introduction topics.

The court will be selected by a panel of five independent judges in the categories of interview, creative introduction, and poise and composure. The “Essay” Category (comprising 10% of their total scores) will be judged prior to the pageant by a panel of three judges. On the night of the Pageant, the 12 finalists will be asked an impromptu question. The six young women with the highest composite scores will serve on the 2020 Court. Each will receive a $1,250 college scholarship from the Optimist Club, as well as a period style costume to be worn during official appearances.  Coastal Alabama Community College will provide an additional one year scholarship to a graduating senior who has previously served on the Dogwood Court. 

Sponsors of the scholarships include Eastern Shore Optimist Club, The Citizen’s Bank, Kiwanis Club Daphne-Spanish Fort, Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival Foundation and Putting on the Ritz.

The Court’s first official appearance will be at the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Court members serve one-year terms as goodwill ambassadors for the Eastern Shore. They complete approximately 150 hours of community service, appearing at city, county, state and national events, parades, festivals and trips that promote the Eastern Shore.

Tickets are $10 and will be available from any pageant participant. They may also be purchased in the lobby of the Fairhope Civic Center during pageant rehearsals on Friday, Jan. 10 from 6 – 8:30 p.m. or on pageant day, Saturday, Jan. 11 while supplies last.   Programs are $5 and will be available during the pageant.

For more information, call JoAnn Broadus, Executive Director, at 251.990.8899.