The 31st annual Little Miss Buford and Miss Sweetheart of Buford pageant crowned 28 new queens on Feb. 3, 2024, at the Buford High School Performing Arts Center. Buford High School Band of Wolves Director Erik Mason was the pageant host while Chris Saltalmacchio and Avery Ewing emceed the event.
The pageant began in 1993 as a fundraiser for the Buford High School marching band, the Buford Band of Wolves. The pageant consists of the main event, the formal wear competition, with optional competitions of Interview, Prettiest Smile, Prettiest Hair, Prettiest Dress, Photogenic and People’s Choice. The interview competition was held Friday night before Saturday’s main formal wear competition.
“The Little Miss Buford and Miss Sweetheart of Georgia Pageant is an opportunity to enrich and invest in the lives of these young ladies,” said Myra Sharp, pageant director. “What began as a school-based pageant has grown into the largest local pageant system in the area.”
This year, 110 young ladies competed in either the 14 divisions of the Little Miss Buford pageant or the 14 divisions of the Miss Sweetheart of Georgia pageant. Participants in the Little Miss Buford pageant have to be between the ages of 0 and 18 years old and must attend Buford City Schools or live full-time at a Buford mailing address while the Miss Sweetheart of Georgia pageant is open to all girls living in Georgia who are between 0 and 18 years old.
The contestants got the opportunity to work with national-level pageant professionals and judges as part of the pageant. The young ladies walked away from this positive experience with more self-confidence, a better ability to express themselves to others and be more comfortable being in the spotlight according to Sharp.
“We put the contestants in a position to learn from industry professionals, who help guide them with their pageant journey and offer real-world experiences in speaking with adults,” said Sharp. “Parents appreciate the engagement and contestants rise to the occasion.”
Many of the contestants go on to compete at national-level competitions and do well in those competitions. This past year, four former Little Miss Buford pageant queens were crowned as a national queen in their respective pageant organizations. They each attributed their love of pageants to their start in the Little Miss Buford pageant.
This year’s 14 Little Miss Buford pageant queens are Baby Miss Buford (0-18 months) – Josie Moon, Toddler Miss Buford (19-35 months) – Victoria Morales, Wee Miss Buford (3 years) – Ashton Brooke Chastain, Petite Miss Buford (4 years) – Maci-Rae Coleman, Young Tiny Miss Buford (5 years) – Oaklie Rose Humphrey, Tiny Miss Buford (6 years) – Bonnie Grace Cooper, Jr. Princess Miss Buford (7 years) – Bryxton Hansard, Princess Miss Buford (8 years) – Reagan Elyse Butts, Jr. Young Miss Buford (9 years) – Sydney Hope Bartlett, Young Miss Buford (10 years) – Cameron Marie Brown, Jr. Preteen Miss Buford (11 years) – Kendall Bella Gaines, Preteen Miss Buford (12 years) – Olivia Blair Stroud, Jr. Teen Miss Buford (13-14 years) – Morgann Elizabeth Rice and Teen Miss Buford (15-18 years) – Ansleigh Noelle Rose.
Elizabeth Jean Day raised the second most amount of money for the pageant and was crowned the Jr. Supreme Ambassador. Ava Wade was crowned the Supreme Ambassador for raising the most money. Ansleigh Noelle Rose won the $500 Little Miss Buford 2024 Myra Sharp Scholarship. Ansleigh was the teen (15-18 years old) contestant who had the highest overall score compiled from formal wear and the interview competition.
The 14 Miss Sweetheart of Georgia queens for 2024 are Baby Miss Sweetheart of GA (0-18 months) – Scottie Kay Eubanks, Toddler Miss Sweetheart of GA (19-35 months) – Maliviah Long, Wee Miss Sweetheart of GA (3 years) – Layla Annie Thompson, Petite Miss Sweetheart of GA (4 years) – Skylar Gray Bartlett, Young Tiny Miss Sweetheart of GA (5 years) – Graylen Crump, Tiny Miss Sweetheart of GA (6 years) – Madelyn Elizabeth Parks, Jr. Princess Miss Sweetheart of GA (7 years) – Ava Wade, Princess Miss Sweetheart of GA (8 years) – Lyric Fluellen, Jr. Young Miss Sweetheart of GA (9 years) – Ashlyn Hollifield, Young Miss Sweetheart of GA (10 years)- Adelyn Hollifield, Jr. Preteen Miss Sweetheart of GA (11 years) – Joy Lander, Preteen Miss Sweetheart of GA (12 years) – Rebecca Anne Buell, Jr. Teen Miss Sweetheart of GA (13-14 years) – Audrey Kate Brown and Teen Miss Sweetheart of GA – Jessica Rose Buell.
The pageant would like to thank Buford City Schools, the Board of Education, and the Board of Commissioners for their continued support of the Fine Arts program and the Buford Band of Wolves.
The pageant would like to give special recognition and thanks to their sponsors:
- DIAMOND SPONSORS: Girli Girl Prom and Pageant, Cheer & Dance Atlanta Jayhawks, Rico’s World Kitchen, Mall of Georgia MINI
- GREEN SPONSOR: Elite Dance Academy
For more information about the Little Miss Buford and Miss Sweetheart of Georgia Pageant, visit littlemissbufordpageant.com.
