7 Enter Ocean City’s 2026 Miss Night in Venice Contest

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City has seven contestants in the running for the title of 2026 Miss Night in Venice Queen, with the winner to be decided by how much money each raises for local nonprofit charities by July 20.

According to the announcement, the queen, her court and contestants are chosen based on the total amount of money each raises between now and July 20. Donation containers are located at the Ocean City Music Pier and the 12th Street Boardwalk Pavilion.

The contestant who collects the highest amount of donations will be crowned Miss Night in Venice 2026 at 7 p.m. Monday, July 20, on the stage of the Ocean City Tabernacle. The announcement says this year’s winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship that can be used toward college or donated to a local nonprofit charity.

The event also includes a Boardwalk parade before the crowning ceremony. According to the announcement, the contestants will parade in convertibles at 6 p.m. on July 20, traveling on the Ocean City Boardwalk from 5th Street to 12th Street.

After the crowning, the new Miss Night in Venice Queen, along with her court and contestants, will take part in one of the city’s signature summer events. The announcement says they will reign over Ocean City’s Night in Venice Boat Parade on Saturday, July 25.

Night in Venice is a longstanding Ocean City tradition, and the queen contest is tied directly to charitable fundraising in the community. Under the format, the title does not hinge on judges’ scores or a separate pageant competition. Instead, the outcome is based on donations collected for local nonprofit charities.

Residents and visitors who want to support the contestants can do so by contributing at the two listed donation sites before the July 20 deadline.

The next public events tied to the contest are the convertible parade at 6 p.m. July 20 and the crowning ceremony at 7 p.m. that same night at the Ocean City Tabernacle. The winner and court are then scheduled to appear during the Night in Venice Boat Parade on July 25.

The contestants are:

April Wright

Araalene Sanchez

Madison Richards

Nadia Marzano

Madison Specht

Bridget Towers

Noley Schenck