KINGSTON — The rustle of evening dresses will be accompanied by dancing, singing, music, recitation, a little glamor and a touch of glitz during the annual Miss Kingston Pageant.

Saturday night, five local teenagers will vie for the chance to become the next royal court of the Little City by the Sea as Amber Hoak, Felicia Genevieve Perl, Markie Rustad, Shannon Fyfe and Paige Woodside take the stage at Kingston Junior High School.

While each girl is busy keeping up on current events and practicing their creative displays, organizers are working to put together the perfect stage for each candidate to convince three judges they will best represent Kingston.

“The girls are working on their skills,” said Miss Kingston Pageant Director Leslie Burns. “We’re compiling all the costumes, props and working on their creative displays.”

Each contestant will be judged on a personal interview, creative display, evening gown and impromptu questions. The judges then decide who will best fulfill Miss Kingston’s duties, and who will become the two princesses who assist the winner during her reign.

Every day this week finds the five teens hard at work rehearsing for the big night, Burns said. In the past several weeks they also participated in mock interviews and attended preparatory meetings.

“It’s a neat program,” said former Miss Kingston 1997 Jaci Garringer, who is lending a hand with this year’s pageant, helping Burns with organizational duties. “I think I went from awkward 16 to Miss Kingston. It taught me grace, how to act like a lady.”

The judges themselves are carefully selected for the night of glitter and performances.

“I know a lot of people who are good judges of people,” said Miss Kingston board member Alison Morrison, who is in charge of finding three judges to put the ladies through their paces. “I used to look for people with pageant backgrounds. But now I look for a real array of people.”

She added that having pageant experience doesn’t necessarily qualify a good judge, but having an excellent knowledge of the community Miss Kingston will serve does.

“It’s neat to watch the girls with Leslie, and go out like women,” Garringer said.