The search is on for our Class of 2025!  We are an official local preliminary for Miss Hawai’i and Miss America Organizations. Our competition is a signature event of our annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival taking place November 1st-10th this year.  Our title sponsor for our competition is Ueshima Coffee Company (UCC) Hawai’i. 

 

Competition: Saturday, November 2nd, 2024, 6-9 pm at Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel

 

Delegate Requirements:

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To become a local or state participant for the Competition Cycle 2026, (some states starting locals in March of 2024) competing as a State Titleholder at nationals in January 2026, you must meet the age criteria as shown below.  

• Miss America 18-28 – must be 18 by state competition,  and no older than 27 at state competition

• Miss America’s Teen 14-17 –  must be 14 by state competition and no older than 17 at state competition.

For All Ages you must ALSO meet criteria as shown below:

• Be a United States citizen

• Be a female

• Single

• No legal dependents

• Current or Former Hawai’i Island Resident for at least 2 years 

 

Miss America has a formal registration process that will begin with registering as a member in the Miss America Organization (one-time fee) and a contract. 

 

For our local competition we do have an application process:

• Application form - located on our website

• Commitment form to compete in Miss Kona Coffee

• Application fee of $250 - funds will be used to purchase wardrobe for the health & fitness phase of competition - Per our contract with Miss America this must come from the Miss America line with sponsor Rebel Athletics

 

Why MKC? 

• Gain valuable experience and develop life skills (e.g. interview skills, public speaking, interpersonal communication, social interaction, etc.)

• Earn quality scholarship funds for college and graduate school, regardless of whether a title is won 

• Find new interests and discover new opportunities

 

• Learn to set goals, follow them through, and exceed your expectations

• Opportunity to get involved in your community

• A sisterhood of like-minded young women building memories to last a lifetime!

 

Commitment

• You are committing to competing for an opportunity to be a brand ambassador as Miss Kona Coffee and Miss Aloha Hawai’i.  Between now and November is the preparation phase to prepare you for your year of service.

  • Turning in requests for information in a timely fashion as represented on the timeline included in the official delegate handbook (to be provided and discussed at orientation) and or requested by directors.

  • At least 1x per week leading up to competition week - for about 4 hours - this time includes preparations for the competition (trainings and rehearsals), delegate bonding, community service projects, and or appearances.

• Delegates will be required to sell festival buttons (will be required for all festival events - including those that also need tickets to enter), tickets to our competition as well as program book ads. Delegates are also encouraged to sell cookbooks that the festival has to offer.  We will discuss this process in the orientation in more detail. The order in which delegates get to choose their spot in the competition line-up will be determined by these fundraising efforts. 

 

Phase of Competition

• Private Interview - includes 30-second Community Service Initiative Introduction - 30%

• On-Stage Conversation - extension of private interview - based on Community Service Initiative (one-question) - 10%

• Health & Fitness - outfit will be from the Miss America Rebel Athletics Line - 20%

• Talent - 20%

• Evening Gown/Red Carpet - 20%

**Community Service Initiative is the initiative you create and or advocate for in which you will work alongside the Miss Kona Coffee Organization during your Year of Service. Begin to think about what you are passionate about. We will help you to develop and expand your platform and also to prepare for this phase of the competition.