2026 Miss Curwood Festival's Teen Pageant Application
About the event
About the application
Introduction:
Miss Curwood Festival’s Teen is selected for the purpose of representing the Shiawassee County area as well as the Curwood Festival at speaking engagements, events, and festivals throughout the state of Michigan. Miss Curwood Festival and her other Royalty members (Queen & Princess) will participate and promote the festival at several parades, activities and speaking engagements, as well as join festival officials at receptions, dinners, and similar activities.
THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE TEEN SELECTED, NO ATTENDANTS.
There will be no bathing suit or talent competition. Miss Curwood Festival’s Teen will be chosen on her communication skills, intelligence, poise, personality, appearance, and overall enthusiasm for the Curwood Festival and community.
Since Miss Curwood Festival’s Teen is an official ambassador, she will be chaperoned at all times by a festival official and are not permitted to act within the title without a chaperone present. All travel arrangements, parades, events, and scheduling will be done by the Queen Coordinator and at the expense of the festival. All arrangements are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the coordinator and will differ from year to year.
Purpose
The purpose of the MISS CURWOOD FESTIVAL’S TEEN program is to promote the Curwood Festival and educate about the life and efforts of James Oliver Curwood. It is also a goal to invite members of other communities to Owosso to attend the Curwood Festival.
The Queen and her Royalty (Teen & Princess) are also regularly invited to speaking engagements throughout their reign. The coordinator will give as much prior notice to the Curwood Festival Royalty Members as possible.
Pageant Registration
Each applicant must submit either one photograph (3” X 5” head and shoulders only) VIA EMAIL AS A JPEG to the chairman at curwoodpageant@gmail.com OR one hard copy photograph (head and shoulders only), no larger than 3” X 5”, with your official Miss Curwood Festival entry form. These photographs may be color, black and white, or you many scan and print them at home. They must be of good quality as they are used for judging and press releases. Although either method of photo submissions is acceptable, email is preferred. Please refrain from sending photos taken with a cell phone or any format other than JPEG. Please note: If emailing the photo, please add your name to the subject line of the email.
Applicants are asked to obtain a sponsorship of a Shiawassee County business or civic organization. The sponsor should accept the expense of the entry fee of $100.00. Each sponsor will be acknowledged in the Argus-Press, in the pageant programs, and multiple times during the pageant.
Terms & Conditions
Important Information
Personal Interview - Your personal interview will be held on the morning of the pageant, Sunday, February 22nd. During this time, the candidates will meet with a panel of judges for approximately 7 minutes. Dress as you would for a wedding or church.
The Pageant -The Miss Curwood Festival pageant will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at the OHS Performing Arts Theater at 4:00pm. On Sunday morning, candidates will gather at 9:00am at the Performing Arts Theater main lobby and be assigned their dressing room. Princess interviews will start promptly at 10am, followed by Teen & Miss candidates. The candidates will practice onstage walks during and after interviews. Candidates will be served lunch at 1:30pm. The pageant will start promptly at 4:00pm.(Times are subject to change. A more concise timeline will be sent via email once all contestants are registered).
During the pageant, cell phone usage must be kept to a minimum. Please be aware of your surroundings when taking pictures backstage, especially in the dressing rooms. Each dressing room will have a Room Attendant to help girls get ready and monitor cell phone usage.
Wardrobe - Please do not feel as though a dress must be purchased solely for this event. Almost all of the past candidates have worn their homecoming or prom dresses, a dress worn in a wedding, or a dress they simply borrowed from a friend.
After submitting your application, please check your email for any changes to our tentative itineraries. Thank you for your interest in the Curwood Festival Pageant. We look forward to meeting you!
We expect commitment and dedication from Miss Curwood Festival’s Teen, just as we are all volunteers within the festival and take our own commitment seriously.
All applications, essays, payments and photographs become property of the Curwood Festival, Inc. and will not be returned unless the Miss Curwood Festival Pageant Committee has deemed an applicant as ineligible to participate in the pageant.
Guidelines
- Applicants must reside in Shiawassee County. Proof of permanent residency must be provided upon request.
- Teen applicants must be between 12-16 years of age by January 1, 2026.
- Applicants must never have been a previous Miss Curwood Festival Teen or Court member.
- Candidates, if chosen, must be able to attend many functions throughout the year, especially between May and September. This year’s Curwood Festival will be June 4-7, 2026.
- Miss Curwood Festival’s Teen may not hold or run for any other title during their reign. The reign is defined as from the moment chosen in the 2026 pageant to the moment the 2027 Miss Curwood Festival’s Teen is chosen.
- Applicants must be in good academic standing as determined by the queen’s pageant committee. Circumstances surrounding a candidate being on academic probation must be discussed with the committee co-chairmen.
- The winners will be required to sign a contract stating that they understand the rules and obligations and that they agree to abide by them. In addition, a parent will be required to sign to acknowledge his/her understanding of the commitment as well.
- The winners will be provided guidance on wardrobe to be worn to every speaking engagement and event as designated by the chaperone/schedule coordinator. Information is listed in the contract the winner signs upon winning.
- The Curwood Festival (or any of its designees) is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged clothing or personal items during the pageant process.
- Applicants may withdraw from the competition as late as Friday evening (January 30, 2026) Sponsor payments will be due no later than January 26, 2026. Any candidate that chooses to withdraw after that date will forfeit their sponsor payment. Candidates must call Brandy Kenny (989-239-9651) to officially withdraw from the competition.
- The Curwood Pageant Committee will review all applications to determine that these guidelines have been met. The Committee reserves the right to reject any application that does not meet the guidelines as stated. All decisions of the Committee are final. If your application is rejected, you will be notified within one week.
Attending an event at a festival or function should be treated as an all-day commitment, unless otherwise specified. No return time guarantees will be given, as travel time, parade time, and line-up numbers, etc., are too difficult to determine ahead of time. The winners must travel to and from events with the chaperone/coordinator unless prior arrangements are approved.
Attendance is mandatory at events scheduled. Excessive missed events may result in loss of title. The chosen winners are not allowed to miss certain events unless there are extenuating circumstances. High school graduation would be considered an extenuating circumstance, while having plans already with a friend would not.
A Curwood Festival Teen Contract will be covered with the winner and their parents after the pageant.
Questions on the application
User information
- First name
- Last name
Additional information
- Sign below to affirm you're from Shiawassee County:
- Applicant's Name
- Applicant's Age
- Applicant's Date of Birth
- Please upload a headshot for the Program Book
- Applicant's Street Address
- Applicant's City
- Are you from Shiawassee County?
- Applicant's Phone Number (if applicable)
- Applicant's Email Address
- Do you check your email at least once daily?
- Parent(s) Name(s)
- Parent's Phone Number
- Parent's Email Address
- High School Attending/Attended
- Year in School
- Current Place of Employment (if applicable)
- Position at current job
- Special Training: (dance, cheer, music, speech, modeling, theater, etc.)
- Hobbies and Special Interests: (reading, painting, etc.) "please list no more than five"
- Please list any volunteer/community activities you have participated in that were not school related.
- What do you think you would gain out of the year if chosen as Miss Curwood Festival's Teen?
- How would you explain James Oliver Curwood to someone not familiar with him?
- Why do you think you would make a good representative of the Curwood Festival?
- What is your favorite quote and why?
- What is something unique about yourself?
- Is someone special encouraging your participation? Who?
- Do you personally know any prior Queens or court members? Please list her/their name(s) here.
- Sponsor's Name/Business Name
- Business Contact Person
- Sponsor's Email
- Sponsor's Address/City/Zip
- I, the undersigned, have read and understand the rules governing Miss Curwood Festival Teen Pageant. I am the parent or legal guardian and am giving my consent for her to participate in the Curwood Festival Teen Pageant.
