Miss Italia Pageant postponed until Oct. 3

There will be no crowning achievement at the 26th annual Bravo Italiano Festival.

The Miss Italia Pageant, a Friday night festival fixture, has been postponed until October.

This year's festival runs from 5 to 11 p.m. today and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds Arena, Coffeen Street.

Pageant co-chairwoman Mary Beth Renaud said the pageant was rescheduled to Oct. 3 and will be held at the Italian-American Civic Association on Bellew Avenue.

Mrs. Renaud said a couple of developments necessitated the pageant's postponement.

"One of the judges had to decline at the last minute because of personal health problems in the family," she said.

There are three judges.

"You got to have that deciding vote," Mrs. Renaud said. "You can't split."

She also said entertainment at the pageant is usually provided by school groups, and Labor Day fell relatively late this year.

"The festival was so close to the beginning of the school year, they didn't have time to prepare," she said.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors at Watertown High School also lost another day of school on Tuesday, which was reserved for freshmen only.

The reigning Miss Italia 2010 is Amelia L. Renaud, Mrs. Renaud's daughter. Amelia is a freshman at College of St. Rose, Albany.

Mrs. Renaud said Amelia will have a booth at the festival where she will display pictures of her tenure. The booth also will have applications for the Miss Italia contest. Mrs. Renaud said her daughter will be there Friday night and beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The rescheduled pageant will give girls more time to enter. The new deadline to register is Sept. 28. The time of the Oct. 3 pageant is to be announced. Miss Italia usually helps to raise the Italian flag in front of City Hall during Columbus Day weekend, which is one week after the pageant.

Miss Italia is expected to attend community events, such as speaking engagements and parades. She traditionally flips the kick-off coin at the home opener of the Watertown Red & Black football team, Mrs. Renaud said.

"You get your face out there and you have fun," she said.

To request an application for the pageant, interested girls of Italian descent 16 to 19 can call Mrs. Renaud at 493-6734 or 783-4541 or Frances Leon at 779-1092.