After years of helping out in various capacities, Amy Trentman, a Chilton County native, has accepted the responsibility to coordinate the Miss Peach pageants, which are held annually as part of the Chilton County Peach Festival.
PEACH LIVING MAGAZINE: Have you held other roles associated with Chilton County’s Peach Festival? If so, what were they?
AMY TRENTMAN: Yes, I started about 10 years ago assisting with the Little and Young Miss Peach contestants. I was in charge of the Little Miss contestants. Through the years I have helped with practice and backstage with each age group. I always assisted Mr. Richard and Mrs. Gwen (Davis) with typing the calendar of events each year, and sorting and typing the contestants’ bio sheets and photographs. I basically was there to help with whatever Mr. Richard or Mrs. Gwen needed help with. After Mr. Richard became sick, I assisted Mr. Tom Brown with the pageants and traveling with the queens.
PL: What are your responsibilities?
AT: My responsibilities include organizing and attending events throughout the year with the reigning Peach Queens. I meet with the committee that helps with each group of contestants each year and we plan the parties and organize the information that needs to be on the calendar. I type the calendar, get the applications ready and take them to the various places in the county, I go to each school in the county with the Miss Peach and we speak to the girls to encourage participation in the pageants, I organize the bio sheets and photographs and send them to the paper and get them ready for the program, I help decorate and organize each party and event, I attend all events and practices throughout the week, I also help with the Peach Jam, Peach Parade and Peach Auction.
PL: What are some benefits of the pageant for the contestants?
AT: The benefits are making new friends and forming relationships with others in their group, making memories at the various events, being able to take away a gift from each event or party, and building self-confidence as they compete for the title of Miss Peach.
PL: How do the pageants benefit the Peach Festival and the community?
AT: The pageants are a special part of the Peach Festival. The pageants help make the Peach Festival known outside of Chilton County. The Peach Pageant is well-known all over the state of Alabama. The pageants also bring recognition to our peach farmers. Without the farmers there would not be a festival.
PL: Describe what the pageant winners will do during their reign.
AT: The queens will attend various grand openings throughout the county, they will promote Chilton County peaches at the Farmers Market, they will meet the governor and many other political officials. The girls make many appearances throughout the state as they promote our Chilton County peaches and represent our peach farmers. The queens also will ride in parades throughout the county and will participate in the Peanut Festival in Dothan.
PL: Did you grow up in Chilton County?
AT: Yes, I grew up in Chilton County. I participated in the Little Miss Peach pageant and the Junior Miss Peach pageant.
PL: What are some of your favorite memories from those experiences?
AT: When I was in the pageants, we only had the swimming party. I remember attending the swimming party and enjoying getting to be around the “big” girls that were in the Junior and Miss categories.
PL: If you could sum up the Chilton County Peach Festival in three words what would they be?
AT: Fun, exciting and tradition. Fun: parties, meeting new friends and socializing together; Exciting: the pageant, dresses, swimsuits, make-up, hair, suspense leading up to crowning; Tradition: for a lot of girls, this is a family tradition. We have lots of moms that have been Chilton County Peach Queens that have high hopes of their daughters and granddaughters being a Peach Queen. Lots of farming families in the county look forward to participating in the Peach Auction like generations before them.