It’s been a tradition for years – the National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston. The Labor Day weekend pageant is part of the Hoopeston Sweet Corn Festival at McFerren Park.
This year, for the first time, the Sweetheart Pageant is affiliated with the NEW Miss Volunteer America Pageant, which developed in Tennessee. The Miss Tennessee organization created the competition from Miss America connections.

Dating back to earlier years, the National Sweetheart contestants were all runners-up from state pageants. In 2016, it became an open pageant….each state welcome to send a candidate.

Today, the Miss Volunteer America Pageant invites all runners-up to the local pageant. Each of the Sate winners goes to the Miss Volunteer America Pageant in Jackson, TN. (It’s in May).

In Hoopeston, Nat’l Sweetheart Pageant Director Michelle Crabtree explains ‘runners-up who come to Hoopeston are welcome to compete in the next year’s Miss Volunteer America Pageant. She says it’s all about extending opportunities …………..

Participants are between 19 and 26 years-old. The Nat’l Sweetheart Pagent is Saturday and Sunday evenings at McFerren Park in Hoopeston. The 14 are dwindled down to 8 finalists for Sunday night.

94.1 WGFA