It’s that time of year again: a group of 38 talented young ladies will descend upon the River City to compete for one crown.

Miss Mississippi Week is here, with delegates — that’s the official term this year — arriving in town on Sunday morning and launching into a full week of rehearsals, public appearances and last but not least, competition for the title of Miss Mississippi and an opportunity to compete in Miss America.

We’re lucky enough to have five delegates this year who do not have to travel far, as they hail from Vicksburg: Charity Lockridge, Sarah Randolph, Brelynn Beck, Morgan Nelson and Erika Wheeler. It’s more local girls than we’ve had in a long time on the competition stage, and we couldn’t be more proud.

With all the delegates from across the state putting their best high-heeled feet forward for us next week, it’s only right that Vicksburg does the same for them. And how do we do that? By showing up and showing out at every opportunity.

The first chance to see Miss Mississippi delegates in action is during Monday evening’s parade, which begins at 7 p.m. and runs down Washington Street between Belmont and Jackson streets. As an added bonus, we get to see not only the delegates but also their Magnolia Belles as they sparkle and smile at the crowd.

Another mainstay of competition week is the autograph parties, which allow fans the opportunity to meet Miss Mississippi delegates in person while visiting Vicksburg’s small businesses. As always, a group of candidates will be at George Carr Cadillac Buick GMC on Wednesday as well as at various businesses in downtown Vicksburg on Thursday, ready to smile for selfies and sign souvenir headshots.

Additionally, this year delegates will go to the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library on Friday for a special children’s storytime. It’s a great way for youngsters to see firsthand that Miss Mississippi isn’t only about fancy dresses and tiaras — you have to be smart, too.

It all comes down to Saturday night when the next Miss Mississippi titleholder will be crowned. With a field of so many talented and deserving women, anything is possible. And we are sure excited to see what happens.