Miss America 2018 – Show Us Your Shoes Parade
So for those who don't know, the historic length of the boardwalk, before the destructive 1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane, was about 7 miles; The Atlantic City Boardwalk opened on June 26, 1870, and it was, at that time, only a temporary structure for the summer season that was the first boardwalk in the United States. But it was in the 1920’s, my favorite era of American history, which brought garnered a lot of attention and excitement on the boardwalk; it became known for stunts, shows, the greatest big band music of the era, and of course, the iconic and original Miss America pageant and parade. "Show us your shoes," echoed in our past, present, and will continue to in our future.
This year, the 51 contestants took to the boardwalk in what has become the most anticipated part of the Miss America pageant – the Show Us Your Shoes parade! Ready with their convertible cars, the contestants have worked with their teams to create the most flamboyant of costumes, representing their home state, familial background, heritage, community, platform, and so much more.
Photo: P.G. Photography
And this year, the contestants did not fail to amaze the crowd. Eight-year-old Emily, from Philadelphia, has been attending the parade with her mom & older sister for two years now and she said, “I love seeing Miss America. I want to be on her float one day.”
There were many different contestants which stood out because of their uniqueness, but here are just a few of our favorites, as it was so hard to pick just one!
Pageant title-holder and business woman extraordinaire, Miss Wisconsin, McKenna, sprinkled her “fairy dust” on by-standers during the parade!
Paying homage to her college, Penn State, Miss Pennsylvania, Katie, adorned her shoes to beautifully represent her talent – playing the alto saxophone – which is also what she plays in Penn State’s Marching Band!
Whether you’re a Buckeye fan or not, you couldn’t help but to cheer for Miss Ohio as she drove past you on the Boardwalk yesterday; her shoe was a great tribute to Ohio State!
Miss New Jersey, Kaitlyn Schoeffel, is no stranger to the stage & limelight; she shared with by-standers a bit of familial history, as she dressed herself as a showgirl, paying tribute to her mother, Margot – who competed twice for the Miss New Jersey crown, and worked 14 years as a dancer for Merv Griffin’s Resorts.
History drove down the boardwalk with Miss Mississippi this year! Who will she share a coke with?! Fun fact: In a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the first Coca-Cola bottle was bottled?!
Miss Massachusetts Jillian Zucco was a patriotic as they can be as she rode down the Boardwalk in her car yesterday evening!
Her mom was a former Miss New Jersey 1990, so we knew that Miss Louisiana, Laryssa Bonacquisti, would do it right during the parade! Having bagged 2 prelim awards, she brought her alligator-friend along for the ride during the parade!
Though she won the prelim for swimsuit, her love for classical piano was not forgotten during the parade, as Miss Florida showed us why, “Music Matters!”
Every year in Washington D.C., the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. And in honor of that, Miss District of Columbia shared this beautiful tradition on the AC boardwalk.
The Connecticut Huskies represent the University of Connecticut, and Miss Connecticut, Eliza Kanner, brought her team spirit to the boardwalk during the parade! It was nothing but net for this UConn student!
Whether it’s Buttermilk, Eldora, or Breckenridge…Colorado is one of the best spots for skiing; and Miss Colorado brought her love for the snowy white mountain tops to the AC Boardwalk yesterday with her shoes!
Check out some more pictures from the parade here:
