This is not a beauty pageant.
Its director, Ellie Joya, wanted to make that clear ahead of the annual .
"Many of the girls 鈥� they are from family from Puerto Rico, but they never go to Puerto Rico,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we want to preserve that culture here."
Plus, she says, all the girls are beautiful.
鈥淪o we don't need to say, 鈥榊ou can participate because you are beautiful,鈥� or you know, 鈥榖ecause you are not beautiful,鈥欌�� Joya said. 鈥淚 think that's not nice.鈥�
A connection point
This year, 13 girls competed for the three crowns: Little Miss Puerto Rico (7-11 years old), Miss Puerto Rico Pre-Teen (11-14 years old), and Miss Puerto (15-18 years old).
Over the last five months, they have been preparing through classes that cover everything from traditional dances to modeling to Puerto Rican history.
鈥淓ven if the girl is born here, that's no problem. If the girl only speaks English, that's no problem, because some girls grow up here and they don't speak Spanish. But believe me: When I finish here, they come out speaking some Spanish,鈥� Joya said, with a laugh, 鈥渟o preserving the culture.鈥�
Take a look at any of the, and you will notice a flag beside each headshot. Those are the girls鈥� ancestral cities and regions of Puerto Rico, which they represented on stage during the pageant. Ahead of the big day, they had to do weeks of research and present their findings about the place their parents or grandparents are from. Even their dresses had to be custom-made to reflect their family鈥檚 homeland.
The pageant is as much a connection to the culture for the girls as it is for Joya, who is not Puerto Rican.
鈥淟ike my daughter,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 Peruvian, but her father was Puerto Rican. So she can do it for that reason.鈥�
Joya鈥檚 daughter, Sasha Candelaria, participated in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Through that, Joya 鈥渇ell in love鈥� with the community. She continued volunteering years after her daughter was eligible and, eventually, was asked to be the director.
鈥淚 love it, so my plan is to stay as long as I can,鈥� she said. In this way, she stays connected to her late husband鈥檚 culture and half of her daughter鈥檚 ancestry.
The queen(s) named
Once the winners are crowned, they spend the next year attending cultural events, including the annual PR parade, representing the pageant and the Puerto Rican community broadly. The title also comes with an academic scholarship, the use of which is up to the discretion of each family.
The 2025 winners and runner-ups include:
- Miss Pre-Teen of Greater Hartford Queen 2025: Leilani Martinez
- Miss Pre-Teen of Greater Hartford 1st Runner-Up Princess 2025: Naomi Esther Correa
- Miss Puerto Rico of Greater Hartford Queen 2025: Tania Trinidad
- Little Miss Puerto Rico of Greater Hartford 1st Runner-Up Princess 2025: Elyanis Starks
- Little Miss Puerto Rico of Greater Hartford Queen 2025: Darelys Santiago
The annual pageant is hosted by the the group that organizes Hartford鈥檚 annual Puerto Rican Parade, and has happened annually for more than 60 years. Joya says she pictures the next 60 years will bring even more contestants, as the state's Puerto Rican population only continues to grow. Latest census about 8% of the state population identifies as Puerto Rican, which is the highest percentage of any state in the U.S.
鈥淵oung ladies 鈥� they are the future,鈥� Joya said. 鈥淭he point is to preserve the culture. And they can grow it every year a little more.鈥�
Learn more
The pageant took place Saturday, May 24 at the Theater of Performing Arts in Hartford.
Know a 7- to 18-year-old who wants to participate next year? Reach out to the CICD via email here.
