The Newton County Miss Hospitality organization is looking for a few young ladies to apply for the opportunity to represent and promote Newton County in 2026.
To qualify for the county competition, young ladies must live in Newton County, be in high school or a high school graduate who attends or plans to attend college, and be between the ages of 18 and 23 years old.
With no applications submitted yet and the preferred deadline approaching this Friday, organizers for the Newton County Miss Hospitality competition are urgently encouraging young women to apply for the opportunity to represent their county.
The Newton County competition is scheduled for February 7 at the library on the campus of East Central Community College. The program, which emphasizes economic development and community involvement rather than traditional pageant elements, went more than a decade without a Newton County representative until last year when McKinley Gregory won the title of Newton County Miss Hospitality 2025.
“We really need one some girls to apply,” said Newton County Miss Hospitality director Charlotte Street. “We will accept late applications because we want Newton County to have a contestant.”
Miss Hospitality is described by Street as a competition focused on promoting Mississippi’s growth and highlighting what each county has to offer. Participants create a 20-second “community commercial” showcasing their county’s attractions and, if they advance to the state level, deliver a memorized two-minute speech about Mississippi.
Local winners receive scholarships from area businesses and the chance to compete for the title of Mississippi’s Miss Hospitality in July in Hattiesburg. The state winner serves as an ambassador for economic development across Mississippi.
The program places heavy emphasis on preparation and community service. Local contestants participate in interviews and present an initial version of their community commercial. Organizers provide ongoing coaching, including weekly practice sessions with mock interview panels and constructive feedback to help participants improve.
“It’s not all about your beauty,” Street stressed. “It’s not a pageant. It is something where you love your state and you love your county and you want to bring more business and more focus to that.”
She added that the ideal candidate is ‘someone who loves living in their county, who loves doing things in their county’.
“We have so much to offer in Newton County that people just don’t know about,” she exclaimed.
Young ladies that are interested in applying or seeking more information can contact the director by emailing her at newtoncomshosp@gmail.com.
