Miss America Parade to Return to Atlantic City's Boardwalk

Here's some happy news to end a summer week: The Miss America pageant is returning to Atlantic City next month, and the popular parade will be held on the iconic boardwalk, with all contestants and locals alike celebrating along the shore. 

 

According to the Associated Press, the boardwalk parade goes back to the origins of the pageant, which was originally conceived as a way to build up tourism for the seaside town as weather got cooler. Now that Atlantic City is looking to prove how it has recovered since Hurricane Sandy, the show is back after nine years in Las Vegas, and fans will be able to see the contestants' shoes as they go by in convertibles. (Miss Texas traditionally wears cowboy boots, we hear.)

The 4,000 parade participants will include two youth choirs; convertibles carrying the contestants; 15 floats (including one carrying veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan); as well as dancers. The parade will start at the Revel Casino Hotel, which hadn't yet been built when the pageant was last in its hometown.