This year's competitions take place at the Danbury Sheraton Hotel on Sunday. They are open to females who are residents of Connecticut and have never been married or had children. Contestants must be between the ages of 15 and 19 for the teen pageant; 18 and 27 for the Miss Connecticut USA pageant.
Contestants are judged in three phases of competition: swimsuit, evening gown and personal interview, according to Fred Wright, state director of the pageants.
"They submit a profile of simplistic type questions," said Wright. "It's to evaluate their personality moreso than a question and answer."
As of late last week, 33 contestants were registered in the Miss Connecticut pageant and 48 in the teen pageant.
For the first time, the pageants include a celebrity co-host: Jennifer Ferrin from the soap opera "As the World Turns."
"We thought it would be neat to have a celebrity," Wright said. "(Ferrin's) image is the image of our contestants, and is a figure who people can identify with. It's neat because it's in the same line with our owner, Donald Trump. He owns Miss Universe. We'll never be as big as Miss USA or Miss Teen USA, but we want people to know it's a glamorous event, and Jennifer gives added glamour."
The Miss Connecticut Teen USA pageant starts at 1 p.m., and the Miss Connecticut USA pageant starts at 4 p.m.
The pageants are open to the public. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door.