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Preston County Buckwheat Festival Royalty Pageant to be private event this year due to COVID-19

KINGWOOD — The Preston County Buckwheat Festival Royalty Pageant will be a private event this year.

The Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD), sponsor of the festival, announced Tuesday the pageant will be a scaled down version this year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the pageant will be closed to the public.

No date was announced for the contest.

Contestants will give speeches and be interviewed by the judges. They will also give their 30-second promotional speeches, but with a new twist this year — contestants will not be able to express their vision with a costume.

“We are trying to give the young ladies as much of the traditional pageant experience as we can, Festival Chairman Buddy Turner said. “But this year has to be a little different.”

There will still be an eveningwear portion, but no family or friends to cheer on the
contestants.

KVFD also announced it will not have a Firefighter Breakfast on Mother’s Day, Sunday. It also cancelled Big Bucks Bingo in June.

As of now, the golf scramble on June 13 is still on the calendar. Details for the event are being reviewed and adjusted to meet health department guidelines. If you are interested in sponsoring or want to put together a team to play, contact Tournament Director Ethan Rouzee at 304-698-6672 or ethan.rouzee@gmail.com.

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