LUTCHER – The St. James Parish Sugar Queen Committee announced that on Saturday, June 22, they will celebrate the 62nd annual Miss St. James Parish Pageant. Nine girls from across the parish will compete in the St. James Parish Pageant at the Lutcher High School Auditorium at 6 p.m.
Four girls will compete for the 62nd Miss St. James Parish title while the other five girls will compete for the 22nd Miss Teen St. James Parish title. The theme for this year’s pageant is “Mystery of the Night.”
Bianca Steib and Lindsay Dufresne will relinquish their titles this weekend as Miss St. James and Miss Teen St. James. Steib is the daughter of Barbara Steib and Brian Steib of Vacherie. Dufresne is the daughter of David and Melissa Dufresne of Gramercy.  
The contestants in the Miss St. James Parish category are Chelsie Batiste, daughter of Calvin and Denesia Batiste of Gramercy; Mallory Duhe, daughter of Kimberly and Mark Duhe of Paulina; Hannah Guidry, daughter of Ken and Kathy Guidry of Lutcher; and D’Ara Pillette, daughter of late Nikita Pillette and granddaughter of Doris Pillette of Vacherie.
The contestants in the Miss Teen St. James Parish category are Dani Clement, daughter of Davey and Dawn Clement of Lutcher; Raelynn Cambre, daughter of Carla and Lewis Cambre of Lutcher; Kayla Bangs, daughter of Heidi Rutland of Lutcher; Alyssa Gaudet, daughter of Daren and Elise Gaudet of Paulina; and Gina Recotta, daughter of Robert and Jackie Montelius of Gramercy.
A panel of certified judges will have the difficult task of selecting the new queens in the Teen and Miss Categories. The contestants compete in interview, presentation and evening gown categories.
As one of the visiting royalty, St. James Parish has the honor of having the COYC Hurricane Queen from the parish. The COYC Hurricane Queen is Denise Moran of Gramercy, daughter of Michael
and Vikki Moran. Moran was the third Maid in last year’s pageant who went on to compete as the representative in the Hurricane Pageant.  
The new Miss St. James Parish will be awarded great honors and prizes. She will receive a crystal trophy, $500 wardrobe allowance, $300 travel allowance from Imperial Sugars and a sterling silver crown ring from Roussel’s Antique. Perhaps the most exciting honor the queen will be given is a chance to compete in the 72nd Louisiana State Sugar Queen Festival in New Iberia at the end of September. The first maid in the Miss category will receive $100 from Imperial Sugars and a crystal trophy. The other maids in the Miss category will also receive a crystal trophy. All maids will also have the chance to compete in a state pageant.
The new Miss Teen St. James Parish will be awarded $200 cash from Imperial Sugars, a sterling silver crown ring from Roussel’s Antique, a crystal trophy and an all expense paid weekend for her and her parents at the State Sugar Queen contest in New Iberia as a guest. In the teen division, the maids will receive a crystal trophy.
Each category will also have a crystal trophy award for Fashion, Photogenic, Congeniality and People’s Choice.
The pageant will be held at the Lutcher High School Auditorium. Admission will be general seating for the price of $8 for adults and $5 for children 10 and younger. The doors will be open at 5 p.m. The pageant will begin at 6 p.m.  Snacks, sweets, hot dogs and drinks will be sold in the concessions.