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Everything you need to know about Miss Tennessee 2019 coming to Knoxville

Maggie Jones
Knoxville

After 67 years in Jackson, the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Competition is coming to Knoxville.

The event, which decides who will compete in Miss America 2020, will take over Knoxville from Sunday through Saturday, June 29, with events, competition and a visit from 2019's Miss America winner Nia Franklin.

MISS TENNESSEE:Miss Tennessee 2019 to bring thousands of people, estimated $3.7 million to Knoxville

Miss Tennessee 2019 will feature 27 contestants from around the state who've all won a preliminary pageant event to advance, according to Miss Tennessee Executive Director Lanna Keck-Smith, who won Miss Tennessee in 1997.

During their time here, contestants will compete at Thompson-Boling Arena and visit spots around town.

Here's all you need to know about Miss Tennessee 2019 in Knoxville.

1. Miss Tennessee 2019 public events

Miss Tennessee 2019 will encompass seven days in Knoxville, and much of that time will be for events that are open to the public.

The competition's preliminary rounds will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, through Friday, June 28, at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The finals go from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at the arena.

Other events that are open to the public include free autograph sessions. One will take place 2:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday at West Town Mall, and the other is 2-3:30 p.m. Friday at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Also, those interested can attend the Miss America luncheon and concert that take place Tuesday, June 25.

The luncheon is noon-1:30 p.m. at Thompson-Boling and features a presentation from Franklin.

The concert will follow in the evening at 7 p.m. at the arena and will include performances from Franklin, the Joy of Music School and the Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble.

2. Miss Tennessee 2019 ticket info

Miss Tennessee 2019 has several ticket options for those interested in attending. You can purchase tickets online at misstn.org/tickets in advance or at the door at Thompson-Boling.

The season ticket package includes admission to the preliminaries Wednesday through Friday and the finals on Saturday. Season tickets range from $15 to $100 depending on where you choose to sit, according to the event's website.

You can also purchase admission for just the final round on Saturday. Those tickets range from $20 to $65. 

Tickets are also available for the Miss America luncheon and concert on Tuesday. 

They cost $40 for the luncheon, and the concert tickets range from $12 to $35. The $35 option is a VIP ticket that also includes a meet and greet with Franklin.

3. What will the event look, sound like?

Miss Tennessee 2019 will transform Thompson-Boling Arena with a 156-foot stage with LED video walls. It will be on the side across from the skyboxes in the arena.

"If you look at it, it's kind of meant to mirror the way the crown looks ... ," said Eddie Smith, Miss Tennessee foundation chair and vice president of production.

Thompson-Boling will also provide the contestants with a venue that will help prepare them for Miss America, according to Eddie Smith.

"So we wanted to set the stage so that our candidate already had that out of the way, so they've already done that on the state level, so when they go to the national, it's old hat for them," he said.

"It gives them the best chance to possibly win 'cause ... at the end of the day, we want our Tennessee representative to end up being Miss America 'cause it's great for the state, it's great for our communities, and it's great for the program." 

The event will feature music written and performed by female artists in the pop and country genres, and it also has a Dolly Parton connection.

Barry Amato of Nashville, who's worked on choreography for Parton, will emcee the event and handle its choreography. Jamie Graves, who's done musical arrangements for Parton and Dollywood, will serve as the event's band director, according to Eddie Smith.

4. How to watch Miss Tennessee 2019

You can view the competition's finals through a livestream on Miss Tennessee's social media platforms and on knoxnews.com.

If you're curious about Knoxville's role in other pageants, Miss USA took place in Knoxville in 1983. View the YouTube video below to see a segment of the event.

5. How will the competition work?

Miss Tennessee will have four days of competition: three days of prelims and one day of finals. 

During each preliminary round, the contestants will be divided into groups of nine who take part in one of three components: talent, on stage interview and evening gown/social impact.

Once they get to the finals, they will have taken part in each category.

At the finals, the 27 will be narrowed down to 15 based on scores from six judges during the prelims. A possible 16th finalist could join the finals through the People's Choice voting.

The 15 or 16 must answer an on stage question and will be cut to 10 based on their answers. Then the final 10 will showcase their talent before being narrowed to five.

The final five will take part in the evening gown and social impact portion, where they must speak about a cause that's important to them.

The winner will be named Miss Tennessee 2019 and win $15,000. First runner-up gets $12,000; second receives $10,000; third gets $8,000; and fourth receives $6,000, according to Eddie Smith.