Miss Tennessee boosts Jackson economy

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant has been held in Jackson for more than 60 years.

“We have a great volunteer base,” Lori Nunnery, executive director of Visit Jackson, said. “They go after the pageant to make sure they have been keeping it here.”

The pageant is also point of pride and a boost to the economy for Jackson.

“We figure that over $2 million impacts our city directly,” Nunnery said.

Businesses in Jackson look forward to this time of year every year.

“It affects us greatly,” Kris Holt, manager of Rock’n Dough, said. “We have a lot of the family members come in, a lot of the contestants, they frequent a lot of the days when it’s going on.”

Those family members as well as those working with the pageant are opening their wallets and spending money every single one of the eight days they are here.

“That’s not only staying in our hotels but eating in our restaurants, shopping for things, using the different amenities, visiting the different attractions,” Nunnery said.

Based on a study by the University of Tennessee, during those eight days, one person spends on average almost $1,500.

And Jackson restaurants love seeing the crowd of familiar faces year after year.

“Over the years, they just keep coming back,” Holt said. “A lot of the repeat contestants, their families will remember coming in.”

The pageant wraps up on Saturday when a new Miss Tennessee will be crowned.