Our community is welcoming back a cherished tradition this summer. The Miss New Jersey pageant will return to the Ocean City Music Pier in 2026, reestablishing its roots in a venue that hosted the competition for more than two decades before it relocated to other cities, including Atlantic City.
The connection between Miss New Jersey and Ocean City remains strong. Reigning Miss New Jersey Belle Nicholas demonstrated this bond when she joined Ocean City's own royalty for the traditional New Year's Day ocean dip on January 1. Standing alongside Little Miss Ocean City Harper Juelg, Junior Miss Ocean City Arianna DiAntonio, and Miss Ocean City Antonella DiAntonio, Nicholas braved the chilly Atlantic waters to ring in the new year.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to do this as Miss New Jersey," Nicholas told the Sentinel on New Year's Day while warming up after the dip, "and how special is it to do it here in Ocean City?"
The pageant's homecoming brings more than just the competition itself. Ocean City will once again host the Miss New Jersey "Show Us Your Shoes" Parade, a beloved public spectacle scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 17 along the Ocean City Boardwalk. Contestants will ride in convertibles, dressed in creative costumes and displaying decorated footwear in a tradition that echoes the famous boardwalk parade once connected to the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, which drew enormous crowds before the national competition departed in 2005.
The competition schedule at the Music Pier includes preliminary rounds at 8 p.m. on June 18 and 19, with the finals taking place at 8 p.m. on June 20. The Miss New Jersey Teen Competition is set for 1 p.m. that same Saturday, giving younger contestants their moment in the spotlight.
Our region has long been a powerhouse in the state program. Atlantic and Cape May counties have produced multiple Miss New Jersey winners over the years, with local preliminary pageants serving as stepping stones to the state competition. Events like Miss Cape May County, Miss Ocean View, and Miss Avalon continue to nurture talent and provide pathways for young women to compete at the state level.
The return of this storied competition represents more than just pageantry. It's a homecoming that reconnects our community with a tradition that helped define Ocean City summers for generations, bringing visitors to the boardwalk and showcasing the talent and ambition of young women from across New Jersey.
