The New York transit system might feel like a nightmare during rush hour but there’s no doubting the subway is the city’s veins and arteries! The Miss Subways contest, organized by not-for-profit organization City Reliquary, celebrates the subway system and advocates for fixes by picking one pageant winner that embodies the same entertaining and quirky persona of NYC’s underground.
The now gender-inclusive contest is a modern take on the Miss Subway pageants once held in NYC between 1941 and 1976. To enter to be this year's queen of massive public-transit and help improve its flaws, write a short essay about why you want to be Miss Subways, your favorite subway line and why it inspires (or enrages you). In your entry also give them a description of your chosen creative performance (think: hula hooping, speed knitting, singing), and a photo or a short video.
On the night of the event, contestants will get up and show off their unique performances (and devotion to their subway line of choice) for both the judges and the lively audience. On the judges panel will be: Roger Clark, dogged reporter for NY1; Reverend Jen Miller, performance artist, Lower East Side icon, and elf enthusiast; Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, and Michele Carlo, author, artist, and famed storyteller.