The Miss Arkansas Pageant has come and gone, but there's another group of young ladies in town ready to take the Capital City by storm this week.
“This is my first time in Little Rock, it's really great here I'm having lots of fun,” said Margaret Turner, a competitor in the Miss Collegiate America Pageant.
Miss Arkansas ended Saturday, now Miss Collegiate America contestants from around the country are pouring in.
“All these folks obviously had hotel rooms, meals in our restaurants and they had entertainment opportunities all over Little Rock and Central Arkansas,” added Jay Chesshir, CEO of Little Rock Regional Chamber.
The economic and business impact from large groups visiting the city are beneficial for obvious reasons.
Last year, both Miss Arkansas and Miss Collegiate America relocated to Little Rock, holding competitions in June.
“Having the opportunity to show the people of Arkansas how beautiful the renovated Robinson Auditorium is, and what an amazing place it is to attend events there, is part of the impact the Miss Arkansas Pageant has provided,” said Chesshir.
This is the first time both groups have held competitions back to back.
“Some of the difference is, especially in Greenwood, South Carolina where I'm from, it's not as busy for sure,” Turner said. She’s representing Rhode Island.
Local businesses like David’s Burgers, Wasabi Sushi Bar and Grill and others welcome the extra revenue that competitors, their families and supporters are providing.
“Whenever we have large groups coming in from out of town, the River Market is perfect for that. There's a lot of hotels around here so we get that extra business coming in,” said Doug Weaver, Manager at David’s Burgers downtown location.
The Little Rock Convention and Visitor's Bureau estimates Miss Arkansas produced over half a million dollars for the city.
Miss Collegiate America has 150 contestants and will also be at the Robinson Center.
“They're coming and spending a lot of money in this area while they're here, but secondly they then become ambassadors for Little Rock,” Chesshir said.
Ticket sales from the Miss Arkansas Pageant are still being tallied, but the final night of competition, televised for the first time, had a sold out crowd.
The center seats about 2,200 people.