On Sunday, September 28, the 2025 Miss Oktoberfest Pageant was held at Pioneer High School at 4 pm. The pageant consisted of five different divisions: Tiny, Little, Junior, Teen, and Queen. I personally participated in the Teen Miss division and had the opportunity to meet all of the contestants in the other divisions. Miss Oktoberfest was not just about winning a crown, but rather about bonding with the girls and helping give back to our community through service projects. The money raised from the community service projects goes to Rea Park in Royal Center.
Since late August, I have had the opportunity to get to know many amazing, beautiful, strong, and intelligent young women through this program. Together, contestants participated in many different activities leading up to the day of the pageant. These activities helped bond the girls together throughout our experience in the pageant. The community service activities included: community service, volunteer work, picking up trash, and raising money for Rea Park. Other activities included: sleepovers and getting food from Bob-O-Link (a popular restaurant in Royal Center, Indiana). When asked what her favorite memory from the pageant was, junior Grace Frisky responded, “My favorite memory was at the sleepover when all of us girls were playing hide and seek.”
This pageant is community-oriented. All the contestants raise money for their community service projects, which are then given back to the town. Throughout the year, queens crowned have the opportunity to complete a community service project to benefit their town in different ways. Some of the service projects include: visiting pre-schoolers, participating in parades, reading to children, and more! This may not seem like much to everyone, but to the young ladies crowned, it can be a life-changing experience filled with love and laughter. When former Teen Miss Oktoberfest 2024, Reyna Henedez, was asked how being Miss Oktoberfest changed her life, she responded, “After being crowned, I got to spend more time in the community, and I learned how amazing the people are in this community; and even though it went by fast it gave me some of my best friends and girls I’ll always consider sisters.”
The pageant is important to Royal Center community. Not only does it bring together the neighboring counties, but it also drives more attention to the small town. This attention goes far beyond the pageant. This family-friendly festival is an annual event meant to be a fun experience for all ages while highlighting local talents and bringing additional attention to the community. The young ladies crowned will be in attendance at the Oktoberfest this Saturday on October 4, 2025, at 9 am.
Throughout the year, young ladies who are crowned have the opportunity to visit festivals and pageants in neighboring counties and communities. Pageants allow young ladies to learn skills they might not have had if they had not been crowned. When asked how she would encourage girls to participate in Miss Oktoberfest, Reyna said, “Teen Miss Oktoberfest opened so many doors for me. Not only did it allow a chance to serve my community, but showed me how much the community gives back in return. Competing teaches you life skills, confidence, and public speaking, but most of all: sisterhood. The friendships you build here are with girls who will love you, cheer for you, and support you through everything, even long after the pageant is over.”
The lucky girls crowned Miss Oktoberfest got the chance to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity together. The winners included: Tiny Miss Oktoberfest, Bexli Torrey; Little Miss, Lynnex Preston; Junior Miss, Maleigh Deeter; Teen Miss, Addison Thomas; and lastly, Miss Oktoberfest Queen, Chloe Early. Each of these girls was more than deserving of their crown. Personally, getting to meet and spend time with these girls gave me the opportunity to see them as positive role models and true queens.
Though it is no surprise to anyone who watched the pageant, the girls crowned were both shocked and grateful. When asked how she felt when she heard she won, Sophomore at North Miami High School, Addison Thomas, Teen Miss Oktoberfest 2025, said, “I was in shock, honestly; I did not think I was going to win. All of the girls did so amazingly!”
Overall, the Miss Oktoberfest Pageant was an amazing opportunity for young women from Cass (and surrounding) counties to step out of their comfort zones, make new friends, work on public speaking skills, complete service projects for their communities, and, most importantly, make memories from their experiences. So, sign up for next year’s Miss Oktoberfest Pageant 2026 and visit the Oktoberfest Festival this weekend on October 3-5.
