Ocean City Music Pier Welcomes Back Miss New Jersey Competition

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City will host the Miss New Jersey competition at the Ocean City Music Pier from June 18 to June 20, with the Miss New Jersey’s Teen Competition also set for June 20. The return marks a homecoming for the pageant, which had been held at the Music Pier for more than 20 years before moving to Atlantic City in 2019.

A free parade on Wednesday, June 17, will give the public a chance to see all 38 contestants competing for the titles of Miss New Jersey and Miss New Jersey’s Teen. The parade begins at 7 p.m. and runs from Sixth Street to 14th Street on the Ocean City Boardwalk.

This year’s theme is “Crowned in Service, 250 Years of American Leadership,” and contestants will be dressed to match the theme. In a longstanding pageant tradition, they also will “show their shoes.” The parade will also feature marching bands, entertainers, community groups and local business entries.

Preliminary competitions are scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday, June 18, and Friday, June 19, at the Music Pier. The pageant finale will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 20, when reigning Miss New Jersey Belle Nicholas is scheduled to crown her successor. Earlier that day, at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Music Pier, reigning Miss New Jersey’s Teen Delaney Higgins will crown her successor.

The winner of the Miss New Jersey competition on Saturday evening will go on to represent New Jersey in the Miss America Pageant from Aug. 28 to Sept. 6 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Information on the competition and tickets is available at missnewjersey.org.

The pageant is part of a busy June calendar in Ocean City. Other upcoming events include Farmers Market dates on June 17 and June 24 at the Tabernacle grounds from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., with crafters in the street at Sixth and Asbury Avenue.

The city’s June schedule also includes the Antique Auto Show on June 27 at the Tabernacle grounds, a June 28 Ocean City Pops performance featuring Brandon Tomasello in One Man Rat Pack at the Music Pier, a free Chica De Mayo skate park party on June 28, and a Straight No Chaser concert on June 29 at the Music Pier.

Also at the Music Pier, tickets go on sale this week for the “Happy Together Tour 2026,” scheduled for Aug. 3 as part of the annual Summer Concert Series.