08/17/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Peanut Festival Announces New July Dates for 2027 Pageants
DOTHAN, Ala. — A longstanding National Peanut Festival tradition is moving to a new time of year. Beginning in 2027, the Miss and Little Miss National Peanut Festival Pageants will move from their traditional fall dates to July, a change designed to better serve contestants, schools and communities while allowing the pageants to continue calling the Dothan Civic Center home a little longer.
The 2027 Little Miss National Peanut Festival Pageant will be held Saturday, July 17, followed by the Miss National Peanut Festival Preliminary Competition on Friday, July 23, and Finals on Saturday, July 24.
The decision came after National Peanut Festival Pageant officials began exploring the possibility of moving the pageants from the Dothan Civic Center following the 2026 season. For Pageant Directors Angila Brannon and Mary-Grace Martin, those conversations prompted a larger discussion about both the location and timing of the pageants.
“We already knew how important the layout of the Dothan Civic Center is to our pageants,” Brannon and Martin said. “It works incredibly well for everything that happens both onstage and behind the scenes, and our contestants LOVE that big stage. When we were faced with the possibility of moving after 2026, we began exploring every option available to us. Moving to July gives us the opportunity to stay at the Civic Center a little longer while also making some positive changes for our contestants.”
As pageant leadership explored the possibilities, another important consideration became clear: the impact of the traditional October pageant schedule on contestants and the schools they represent.
With contestants representing schools throughout the Wiregrass and surrounding areas, pageant activities during the school year can require contestants to miss valuable classroom time. With the number of contestants and schools represented each year, those absences can also affect overall school attendance.
“Our contestants are students first, and that became a very important part of this conversation,” Brannon and Martin said. “What began as a discussion about our venue ultimately gave us an opportunity to look at the entire pageant experience. Moving to July means less missed school for our contestants and less impact on the schools they represent.”
The move is also expected to make participation more accessible for Miss contestants. The traditional October schedule can be particularly challenging for young women beginning college, moving away from home or participating in high school athletics, cheerleading and other extracurricular activities.
“We know there are young women who would love the opportunity to represent their communities but have had to consider whether they could balance the October pageant schedule with college, cheer, athletics or other fall commitments,” Brannon and Martin said. “We hope moving to July removes some of those barriers and encourages even more young women to participate in their local preliminary pageants.”
2027 National Peanut Festival Pageant Dates
• Little Miss National Peanut Festival Pageant: Saturday, July 17, 2027
• Miss National Peanut Festival Preliminary Competition: Friday, July 23, 2027
• Miss National Peanut Festival Finals: Saturday, July 24, 2027
Preliminary Pageants and Eligibility
Preliminary pageants for the 2027 National Peanut Festival Pageant season will be held between November 21, 2026, and January 30, 2027.
Pageant leadership hopes the new dates will encourage increased participation at the local level and provide more eligible contestants with the opportunity to represent their communities at the National Peanut Festival Pageants.
For the Little Miss division, contestants must be first-time first graders and must either live in the community represented by the preliminary pageant or attend school within that community. A qualifying preliminary pageant must have a minimum of three Little Miss contestants.
For the Miss division, contestants must be at least 16 years old by October 17, 2027, and must either live in the community represented by the preliminary pageant or attend school within that community. A qualifying preliminary pageant must have a minimum of three Miss contestants.
Additional eligibility requirements or other factors may be established by individual local preliminary pageants. Prospective contestants should contact their local preliminary pageant director for complete eligibility requirements and competition information.
What Is Changing — and What Is Not
While the National Peanut Festival Pageants are moving to July, there are no changes to contestant age requirements or competition attire requirements for 2027.
“We know a change this significant naturally brings questions,” Brannon and Martin said. “We want our contestants, families and preliminary directors to know that we are not changing the ages or attire requirements. The traditions and so many of the things our contestants and communities love about the National Peanut Festival Pageants will remain the same.”
For generations, the National Peanut Festival Pageants have brought together young women and girls representing communities throughout the region. Contestants build friendships, develop confidence, proudly represent their hometowns and become part of a tradition shared by generations of National Peanut Festival queens and contestants.
While the crowns will now be awarded earlier in the year, the newly crowned Miss and Little Miss National Peanut Festival will continue to serve as ambassadors for the National Peanut Festival throughout their year of service, including appearances and activities leading up to and during the annual Festival.
“Changing the dates of a tradition this special is not something we take lightly,” Brannon and Martin added. “But sometimes change gives you an opportunity to make something we already love even better. We can keep the Civic Center and that big stage our contestants love a little longer, reduce missed school, create more opportunities for our Miss contestants and hopefully encourage even greater participation in our preliminary pageants. We are excited about what this next chapter will bring.”
The dates are changing. The tradition is not.
Additional information regarding preliminary pageants, contestant registration and the 2027 National Peanut Festival Pageant season will be released as preparations continue.
About the National Peanut Festival Pageants
The Miss and Little Miss National Peanut Festival Pageants are longstanding traditions of the National Peanut Festival in Dothan, Alabama. Each year, representatives from communities across the region come together to celebrate hometown pride, leadership, friendship and the agricultural heritage of the Wiregrass.
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