ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Hispanic Heritage Month got off to a great start this weekend in Liberal with the 2024 Southwest Community Fiesta, and Saturday, one lucky young lady took home the crown as Miss Southwest Fiesta, making for an even greater start to the celebration.
Alana King, a 2023 graduate of Liberal High School, received the top prize in the pageant, which featured eight contestants. King said she naturally felt quite excited about being named queen at the end of Saturday night’s event.
“I’ve been doing pageants for a while,” she said. “I’ve been waiting to hopefully hold the title one day. Now, I’m holding it, and I feel really happy about it.”
King said some parts of the pageant made her a little nervous, but she showed confidence through each of the categories.
“For the cultural costume, I was worried my top part in the back was going to flip over,” she said. “I was scared during that part, but every other time, I was just trying to keep myself cool, collected and calm so I looked natural, happy to be there in the moment and not care.”
King said being the 2024 Miss Southwest Fiesta means more to her than some would think.
“It’s more than just winning,” she said. “I’ve been waiting to win for a long time. For me being right here, I’m excited to see what I’ll be able to do with the committee and the community in general.”
As for what she looks forward to in her year as queen, King said she is excited about making change in the community, but not in the way many people think.
“I look forward to making a change,” she said. “When I say that, I don’t mean change world hunger all at one time, but making a change to where I get more girls to want to come out and join pageants. Don’t leave pageants to be what everybody else thinks. You can be whatever size, whatever color, whatever height and just come out and be you.”
With her prize, King, along with first runner-up Frida Civis and second runner-up Giselle Erives Rojas, took home a scholarship. King’s scholarship was for $500, while Civis got $300, and Rojas got $200.
There were two other age divisions in Saturday’s pageant. Vanessa Olvera got first in the pre-teen division, Little Miss Southwest Fiesta, and Camilla Tarango received second.
The last division was the Tiny Miss Southwest Fiesta, and in that division, Arya Martinez was first, with Katherine Rosas finishing second and Briana Munoz third.
In the Tiny Miss Southwest Fiesta competition, Elena Nevarez was the People’s Choice winner, and Martinez took home the top prize for best costume.
