Miss New Jersey parade begins pageant week

The Miss New Jersey Parade kicks-off pageant week in Ocean City on Wednesday, June 17 starting at 7 p.m. from Sixth-14th streets on the boardwalk.
The parade theme is “Under the Sea, Over the Boards” and contestants will dress accordingly.
Ashley Fairfield, reigning Miss New Jersey, will lead the parade that precedes the pageant set for June 18-20 at the Ocean City Music Pier auditorium, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace. She will appear on a float as “The Pearl in the Oyster.”
Here’s a sample of what’s in store for Parade watchers: Miss All State, Jackie Mercandetti, will appear as a Jelly Fish; Miss Central Coast, Nychole Hunt, will be Sponge Bob Square Pants; Miss Cape May County, Danielle Green, has selected Finding Nemo for her theme and Miss Coastal Shore, Katie Hope, will wear a penguin costume.
Miss Champaign Springs, Teena Amador, becomes Lobster in a Pot; Miss Gloucester County, Sami-Jo Danze, Catch of the Year; Miss Queen City, Gretchen Bruesehoff, Amphitripe, Goddess of the Sea; Miss Mercer County, Katie Berry, a Shrimp; Miss Heartland, Angelica Nardi, the Seahorse Queen and so it goes.
Floats have been entered by the Chatterbox, Shriver’s, Royal Dance Academy, Island Grille and Little Miss and Junior Miss Ocean City. There will also be Gilligan’s Island, Sea Horse Kingdom, Heritage Dairies and Nemo’s floats plus entries by the Atlantic City Figure Skating Club, Barbizon Modeling and Acting Center and Brownie Troops # 12155 and 11059.
Ensemble Arts and Dance Studio will portray a Penguin and a School of Fish and the Camden River Sharks Baseball Team will be represented.
Carrie Pogue, Miss Deaf New Jersey, will be a special guest along with New Jersey National Teenagers and International Junior Miss Queens.
Tickets for the pageant preliminaries are $35, June 18-19 and $50 for the final on June 20. All three nights are available for $95.
To order tickets, call Mary Lou Cake, 856-424-3564. For other information, contact Ocean City Public Relations, 609-525-9300.