Miss California ends 1-year hiatus, returns to Fresno this week
Kara Durán has waited more than a year to compete for the Miss California title.
Reigning Miss California Eileen Kim has held on to her crown an extra year with no successor to take it.
Blame it on the COVID-19 pandemic, which wiped out last year’s pageant.
Durán, a Fresno State student who earned the Miss Clovis crown a year ago, will join 30 other hopefuls when the pageant kicks off Tuesday (June 22) at the DoubleTree by Hilton Convention Center, which is across Selland Arena.
The 97th edition of the pageant has previously been held at the Saroyan Theatre. The competition, which will crown its 2021 titleholder on Friday evening, awards more than $100,000 in scholarships to its contestants.
The Miss Outstanding Teen Pageant, with 22 contestants, will also take place at the same time. The winner will be crowned Thursday night.
The Miss California preliminary rounds will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.
Showtime for the Miss and Teen finals will start at 6 p.m.
The California winner will compete for the Miss America title in December.
Durán, who competed in the state teen pageant in 2017, graduated from Dinuba High School.
She is not the only pageant veteran who is returning.
Miss Yosemite Valley Cristina Bequer, Miss Los Ángeles County Jazmín Ávalos, and Miss Garden Grove Raena Ramírez have competed in previous pageants.
Other Latinas in this year’s field include Miss Anaheim Jocelyn García, and, Miss Riverside City Jozalene Molina.
Latina competitors in the teen competition are Sophie Nessary (Anaheim Hills), Kayla Arellano (Anaheim), Maya Álvarez-Coyne (Canyon Hills), Vanessa Orozco (Riverside City), Sophia Rodríguez (Santa Clara), Anahí Rodríguez (Sunrise Seaport), and, Jasmine López (Yosemite Valley).
Tickets are available at https://www.misscalifornia.org/ticket-sales/