Queen & Little Miss Spat Competition

The Urbanna Oyster Festival Queen and Little Miss Spat competition is a long-standing tradition that dates to 1960. What would become the Urbanna Oyster Festival was only four years old when the first Oyster Festival Queen and Little Miss Spat were crowned on a flatbed trailer on the day of the festival.

As the Oyster Festival has evolved over the years, so has the selection of the Queen and Little Miss Spat (a spat is a baby oyster). What was once a beauty pageant is now a scholarship-based competition. The Queen contestants must be high school seniors and residents of Middlesex County. Each Queen contestant mentors a first-grade co-contestant as her Little Miss Spat.

The Queen and Little Miss Spat competition starts early in the spring, continues through the summer and extends until the crowning takes place on Friday of the festival.

The Queen contestants are judged in five areas:

• Individual community service project.
• Individual judges’ interview.
• Academic achievement.
• A spontaneously written response to a random question.
• Overall participation in the competition.

The Little Miss Spat contestants are judged separately from the Queen contestants in the following areas:

• Participation at an ice cream social and a tea party.
• Individual judges interviews.
• Overall participation.

MEET 2020’S ROYALTY

Katie Brooke was crowned Queen of the 63rd annual Urbanna Oyster Festival and Caroline Ward was crowned Little Miss Spat at the Urbanna Firehouse on October 31.

As Urbanna Oyster Festival Queen, Katie Brooke received a $5,000 college scholarship.

As Little Miss Spat, Caroline Ward received $150.

Airiana Beverley was the first runner-up for queen and received a $3,500 college scholarship, and an additional $250 for having the best community service project.

Madeline Hurd was second runner-up for queen and received a $2,000 scholarship, and an additional $250 for having the best community service project.

Sara Murray and Jenna Ancell each received $1,000 scholarships for their participation in the queen competition. The academic achievement award of $250 went to Sara Murray.

In the Little Miss Spat competition, Aubriana Sydnor-Burse was first runner-up and received $100, and Lydia Gourley was second runner-up and received $50. Other Little Miss Spat contestants included Madison Cole and Shannon Wilson.

Things looked a little different in 2020, and because of that, the Urbanna Oyster Festival went virtual! Watch the 2020 Urbanna Oyster Festival Queen & Spat Competition, Here!