Whispering and muffled giggles could be heard in the hallway of the main floor of the Vicksburg Convention Center Saturday night.

Budding princesses were lining up to receive their crowns and sashes, and medallions for the young princes, during the Miss Mississippi Corp. Magnolia Prince and Princess crowning ceremony.

“This is my fourth year to be a prince in the pageant,” Conner Johnston said.

Conner is the son of Billy and Penny Johnston of Vicksburg, and added he feels special being one of only three guys participating.

“I do feel special being one of the only guys, but I am not going to include my brother because he acts like a girl,” he said. Conner said he was not worried about his brother reading his comment because he teases him all the time.

The Miss Mississippi Corp.  Magnolia Prince and Princess program is a mentoring program, where local titleholders serve as a mentor to children from 7 to 10 years old, and the children participate in some aspect of the stage production numbers during the Miss Mississippi Pageant.

Miss Turtle Creek Anne Elizabeth Buys said she started out in the Magnolia Prince and Princess program.

“Ever since I was little it was a dream for me to be in the Miss Mississippi Pageant, and then I found out about the princess program, where I could actually be in the program,” she said.

Buys has since gone on to compete in the Miss Mississippi Outstanding Teen Pageant, where she won the title in 2013, and now she is competing for the title of Miss Mississippi.

“I can honestly say I am a product of the Miss Mississippi Organization,” Buys said.

Miss Mississippi Pageant contestants are allowed to choose their own prince and or princesses, Miss Amory Molly May said, “but if you don’t have one they will assign you one.”

“My princesses are very close to my heart, and I have grown up with them. I know their parents, and they are all very nice,” Miss Pride of the South Abigail Wilbanks said.

Serving, as her princesses are JoEllen Talley, Mary Evins Wardlas and Shelby Brinkmann.

In addition to participating in the Miss Mississippi Pageant production, the prince and princess also have the opportunity, as provided by the local pageant director and local titleholder, to be part of the titleholder’s year.

This is Emma Pattie’s third year to participate in the prince and princess program.

“Being a princess is fun, and I know some of the contestants,” Emma said.

When asked what she does with all of the crowns she has collected through the years, she said she lines them up in her room, “and sometimes I play with them.”

The Miss Mississippi Parade is scheduled to roll at 7 p.m. Monday in downtown Vicksburg followed by an autograph signing at the Outlets at Vicksburg.

Preliminary competitions will get underway Wednesday and run through Friday.

The final night of the Miss Mississippi Pageant competition and crowning will be held Saturday. All competitions will begin at 8 p.m. at the VCC, 1600 Mulberry St.

Tickets for the pageant are $125 for all four nights, $30 for June 22 and 23, $40 for June 24 and $50 for June 25. For more information, call 601-638-6746, visit missmississippipageant.com or download the Miss Mississippi mobile app, which will let you purchase tickets, vote on contestants, watch the live stream and receive important push notifications and updates.