Reality television show may feature Central Maine Egg Festival

PITTSFIELD – Reality television may come knocking on Maine’s door next month, as the Central Maine Egg Festival’s scholarship pageant is in the running for a series pilot.

The producers at Authentic TV have notified CMEF President Sherry Davis of Plymouth that the festival pageant is one of three in the final running for a pilot that would focus on unique pageants.

“You can find lobster pageants and strawberry pageants anywhere,” Davis said. “Only in Maine can you find the egg festival pageant.”

A film crew would arrive in Pittsfield and film the pageant from beginning to end – from rehearsals to the crowning and possibly the queen’s ride in the annual parade.

“It’s a wonder I didn’t drop my phone,” Davis said Tuesday after being notified by the television producers.

This latest national recognition comes on the heels of the Food Network’s use of the CMEF in an upcoming episode focusing on eggs.

“I even had a call from the Weather Channel,” Davis said. “It has just been crazy around here.”

This July, central Maine will host the 33rd annual egg festival, which has a Mexican fiesta theme this year, and Davis is out recruiting pageant candidates to entice the television producers.

“We already have 12 to 14 young women signed up,” Davis said. “But I would love to see upwards of 30.”

There are three divisions of the pageant: princess petite, for girls in grades six through eight; princess, for girls in grades nine and 10; and queen, for young women in grades 11 through the first year of college.

The prizes, aside from a crown, sash and trophy, are $150, $500 and $2,000 for the three categories.

Meanwhile, Davis said the annual program booklet will come in especially handy this year as several perennial favorite events have been moved because of the large numbers of participants.

Last year, the cheesecake contest was moved from a Pittsfield church to Millennium Convention Center in Palmyra, and contestants and attendance tripled.

“It is important that we let people know that this is not just a Pittsfield thing,” Davis said. Entire club memberships already have begun reserving tables for the cheesecake luncheon, she said.

The pageant also will be held on two nights, Tuesday, July 19, and Thursday, July 21, at Millennium. The talent, modeling and photography categories will be held on the 19th and the pageant itself on the 21st.

The Egglympics, a children’s fun event, and the annual street dance will both be moved to Manson Park in Pittsfield. The Egglympics will have a new obstacle course and a new theme, “Survivor” Egglympics.

“We had a call from a 30-member church youth group from Maryland that will be in Maine that week, and they are planning to participate,” Davis said.

In addition, Davis said an educational tent will return to the egg festival grounds in the park for the first time in many years.

In that tent, children’s programming will be held throughout Saturday, July 23, including a concert by local teacher and musician Aaron McCannell, two programs by Tony Sohns of the Bangor Children’s Museum and book readings by children’s author Carol Dean.

Other new additions include an art display by the Sebasticook Valley Arts Alliance and an Agro-Art Competition, in which children from “7 to 97” can create sculptures made of fruits, vegetables and eggs.

Last year’s new dog costume contest, which Davis said turned out to be overwhelmingly popular with more than 30 entries, also will return.

Davis said anyone interested in obtaining a pageant package can contact the event’s organizer, Terri Graves, at 368-4640.