Destination Dowagiac 2026

Miss Dowagiac 85 YEARS OF

Dowagiac’s legacy on the larger pageant stage is notable as well. In 1953, Miss Dowagiac Velva Robbins went on to become Miss Michigan and competed in the Miss America Pageant. Her dress is on display at the Dowagiac Area History Museum as part of an extensive exhibit showcasing the pageant’s history. From its beginnings at a packed local theater to its current role as a scholarship-focused

In January of this year, Dowagiac crowned its 85th Miss Dowagiac, Mya Vazquez, adding another chapter to a tradition that began nearly a century ago. The first Miss Dowagiac was crowned in 1930, and while the spirit of the program has endured, much has changed over the decades. That inaugural pageant featured nine

contestants between the ages of 18 and 25. High school students were not permitted to compete at the time, as the winner was expected to “enjoy two weeks crammed full of entertainment and festivities,” and organizers were concerned about the “loss of time in studies for the victor.” The first titleholder, Miss Velma Lason, was 18 years old, a Dowagiac High School graduate from the previous year, and employed as a stenographer at the Premier Warm Air Heater Company. She was crowned on the stage of the Century Theater on Front Street, before an audience of approximately 1,000 people. Today, the program looks very different. All contestants are now high school students, and the event is known as the Miss

program for young women, the Miss Dowagiac Pageant remains a proud and evolving tradition in the community. Special thank you to the Dowagiac Area History Museum and the Local History Branch of the Cass District Library for their assistance in this story.

Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant. Scholarships were introduced in 2000 and have since become a central and lasting part of the program’s mission. Although the pageant began in 1930, only 85 Miss Dowagiac titleholders have been crowned. That number reflects two interruptions in the pageant’s history, one during World War II and another during the COVID-19 pandemic.

18 – 85 YEARS OF MISS DOWAGIAC