Miss Baxter 2012!: Nisswa Winter Jubilee Weekend

Greetings! This past weekend was a busy one for me as I traveled from Moorhead, to Nisswa, to the Twin Cities. Here's what I've been up too!

On February 15, after finishing up my classes at MSUM on friday afternoon I hurried back to the Brainerd area for the 41st Annual Miss Nisswa Scholarship Pageant! The Miss Nisswa Pageant is an annual event hosted by the Nisswa Area Women of Today; this pageant kicks off the towns Winter Jubilee. The Miss Nisswa Pageant is a local scholarship pageant (not affiliated with MAO) open to area high school seniors. The contestants are required to compete in evening gown, interview, casual wear, onstage question, and essay; at the end of the pageant Miss Nisswa is crowned along with two runners up who are given the honor of being named Nisswa Princesses. During the evening a Little Miss Nisswa is also crowned, she is chosen at random by a name being drawn from a hat. This pageant has always been near and dear to my heart, I first appeared on the Miss Nisswa stage as a second grader who so badly wanted to be Little Miss Nisswa (unfortunately I wasn't crowned, but I'm pretty proud of my second grade self for strutting my stuff on stage…and holding it together after the disappointment of my name not being called)! Last february I was also a Miss Nisswa contestant, though it seems like so long ago I remember it like it was yesterday. Though I was not crowned Miss Nisswa I was given the honor of being first runner up, and from that moment on I knew that I was going to keep competing in pageants (however if someone had told me I would end up being Miss Baxter I probably wouldn't have believed them)! I had such a great evening at the pageant, and I was even given the honor of helping crown the first runner up! Thanks to the Nisswa community and the Nisswa Area Women of Today for putting on such a great event!

2012 and 2013 Miss Nisswa Courts!

Congrats to Miss Nisswa 2013 Carissa Voels

Crowning Nicole!

THROWBACK! Little Miss Nisswa Pageant 2002!

THROWBACK! Miss Nisswa Pageant 2012! My first pageant

The very next morning I was up bright and early along with my fellow queens Bailey (Miss Minnesota's Outstanding Teen), Serena (Miss Brainerd Lake's Outstanding Teen), and Lizzy (Miss Central Lake's Outstanding Teen) to judge the giant snow sculptures around the town of Nisswa. All of the sculptures were based on the Jubilees candyland theme; they were all very impressive…some even looked good enough to eat! After snow sculpture judging we all packed ourselves into a convertible and enjoyed the brisk Jubilee parade!

After the Nisswa parade I made a quick wardrobe change and it was off to St. Paul for the Miss City of Lakes / Miss West Metro Pageant! This was such a great evening as I was able to meet the rest of the class of 2013! These great girls just make me more and more excited for the week we get to spend together in June! Congrats to the New Miss City of Lakes, Savannah Cole! Savannah was formerly my Miss Baxter's Outstanding Teen, I couldn't be more proud of this awesome girl!!! I also want to congratulate the new Miss West Metro Ali Vail! Ali has such a big personality, and I can't even begin to imagine all the laughs that she'll bring to the class of 2013!