A few spots are still open for those who would like to sign up for this year’s 25th annual Fiesta Diez y Seis Mexican Cultural Pageant.

The pageant competition is divided into three categories – Miss, Junior Miss and Little Miss.

Winner of the Miss category will receive a $2,000 Coastal Bend College scholarship – $500 per semester – after graduation from high school.

The first runner-up will receive a $500 scholarship to CBC.

The pageant will be held on Sept. 5 at Coastal Bend College in the Gertrude Russell Jones Auditorium.

The contestants must wear costumes and perform a dance representing a state in Mexico. Girls are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible.

The contestants will draw for states on July 12 with classes starting on July 19.

The elaborate pageant will be held in conjunction with the Diez y Seis de Septiembre celebration scheduled for Sept. 12. The competition is open to girls from Bee, San Patricio, Live Oak, Karnes, Jim Wells, Goliad and Refugio counties in three age categories: 7-10, 11-13 and 14-18.

The entry fee is $145, which includes the cost of one-on-one dance lessons and the registration fee. The contestants may find sponsors to help defray the cost.

The pageant is geared toward developing an appreciation in the performing arts and the Mexican culture so deeply interwoven in Texas, pageant director Dolores Perez said.

A Miss Diez y Seis queen will be chosen from the 14-18 age category, along with the first, second and third runners-up; Junior Miss Diez y Seis queen from the 11-13 age group; and Little Miss Diez y Seis queen from the 7-10 age group.

This year, the pageant will feature a tiny Miss Diez y Seis for ages 4 to 6. This group dances as a group and does not compete in the pageant.

For more information, call Perez at 358-2719.