Three Festival Queens to be crowned this weekend

As the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition progresses, three more parish queens will be crowned this weekend. Young women from Hanover, Clarendon, and Manchester will earn the right to represent their parishes at the national finals on August 2 at the Independence Village, National Indoor Sports Centre, Kingston.

Hanover’s coronation will take place this Saturday at Rusea’s High School in Lucea. Eight contestants are slated to compete for the crown and succeed Sornia Samuels, who held the title in 2024 and received the sectional award for Most Congenial at last year’s national finals.

The contestants include Michaela McNab representing Tano Trucking Services, Dajae Taylor for JDA Shipping and Construction, Tashanikie Walker for Deveena’s Final Touch Beauty Palace, Renece Green for ICWI, Shianna McLaren for Top Shipping, Ashley-Nicole Lawrence for Tan Tan Sweet Bites, Callicia Hines for Cousin’s Cove Adventure Park, and Renecia Bernard representing LYL Ultrasound.

Also on Saturday, Clarendon will host its coronation at Glenmuir High School in May Pen, starting at 8 p.m.

Jenicia Jones, the reigning queen, will crown one of seven contestants. The participants are: Christeen Forbes, representing Cousins Construction Services Limited; Joan McKenzie, for Worldnet Microfinance Limited; Marsha Matthews, for Eagle Swift Security Services Limited; Zantaye Thomas, for Mack Chem Trading and Distribution Limited; Shantel C. Powell, for National Self Serve Wholesale Limited; Rhaveen Kildare, for George Clue and Associates; and Clevena Brown, for Serenity Resource Connector.

On Sunday, the spotlight shifts to Manchester, where the coronation will take place at Belair High School in Mandeville, starting at 7 p.m.

Shonnoya Houston, who represented Manchester and placed second at last year’s national finals, will hand over her title to one of seven contestants. Competing for the 2025 crown are: Anthonia Dixon, representing CourierJamaica.com; Danita Antonia Crawford, for Manchester Co-operative Credit Union Limited; Deneila Wright, for S & G Road Surfacing Materials Ltd; Gabrielle Davis, for C & D Construction and Engineering; Kareen Thompson, for Heaven’s Fesco; Omelia Johnson, for Cameron Industries Limited; and Renese Francis, for Gateway Pharmacy. continues on June 21 with the parishes of St Elizabeth and Trelawny, followed by St Ann and St Catherine on June 22.

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