Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2008, Alisha Morgan

The Jamaica Festival Queen Contest, a programme of the Jamaica Cultural Developmetn Commission (JCDC), encourages young women between the ages of 18 to 25 years to participate in and be identified with their culture and community activities at the parish and national levels.

The main thrust of this programme is to make young women aware of the contribution they can make to community development and nation building, as they strive towards attaining their personal goals.

The programme provides training in personal development, showcases talents of the contestants and develops their leadership qualities.

The contest began in 1962 as the Miss Jamaica Beauty Contest, but the need for a greater emphasis on cultural awareness prompted a shift in focus in 1975. The contest itself has grown over the years to become the premiere forum for intelligent, culturally aware and poised young women seeking a platform for their contribution to nation building.

The contestants desire to assist in the development of their communities plays an important role in the selection of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen, who is chosen not only to be a cultural ambassador for her nation, but also an outstanding role model for other young women of Jamaica.

The contestants in the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition are the parish festival queens who have been crowned in the 13 parish contests held annually across the island. The contestants, all queens in their own right, vie for the National Title.