Miss Tennessee pageant brings big bucks to Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant brings big bucks to Jackson.

“I think it’s definitely great for the city,” Matt Childress, a business owner, said.

Childress owns Woodstock Bake Shop in downtown Jackson. His restaurant is less than a half mile from the Carl Perkins Civic Center where the pageant takes place.

“Usually we’ve always seen an increase in business, especially the family members of the pageant girls,” Childress said.

Jackson Chamber COO and General Counsel Ryan Porter said the competition has more than a $1 million economic impact on the city. “That’s people coming here to shop and eat and spend money and stay in hotels,” Porter said.

A representative with the DoubleTree Hotel in Jackson said they are 95 percent full this week. Workers said people typically book several months ahead of the pageant.

Porter said people stay on average a week or more. “It’s not just this week,” he said. “These people are coming here throughout the year, practicing, visiting the community and making reservations.”

Porter said the pageant is a big deal for Jackson and the region. “This pageant could be anywhere in the state of Tennessee, and they choose to have it in Jackson,” he said. “The reason is because our community welcomes them and this committee works so hard.”

Childress said he just hopes these visitors choose to eat at Woodstock Bake Shop. “We do anything from breakfast, lunch, coffee,” he said.

The pageant kicks off Wednesday and runs through Saturday. Competition starts at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and at 7:45 p.m. Saturday.