Miss Arkansas & Miss Arkansas Teen Come to Prescott!

Pictured: Miss Arkansas Ava Weeks (Left) & Miss Arkansas Teen Presley Bennett (Right)

PRESCOTT – A duo of Arkansas stars traveled to Prescott, Arkansas on Sunday, September 20th, them being Miss Arkansas Ava Weeks and Miss Arkansas Teen Presley Bennett. The two young stars convened at “A Venue for You”, for a patriotic themed reception. The evening at the venue included short speeches from the Misses, a dance recital performed by the two and a few aspiring young pageanteers, incredible refreshments, and a time for kids to meet and get autographs from the queens. The event drew a good crowd, who were treated to not only an amazing reception, but to a beautifully and delicately decorated venue. The venue was furnished in patriotic colors and styles.

Soon after the event had drawn to a close, we sat with the 2026 Miss Arkansas and Miss Arkansas Teen winners to learn more about their unique passion and what is next in the upcoming months.

Miss Arkansas Ava Weeks

Reporter: Where are you from?

Ava: “I am originally from Conway, Arkansas!”

Reporter: What was your journey to being Miss Arkansas?

Ava: “Since I go to school at Ouachita Baptist University, I qualified for Miss Southwest Arkansas in Hope, which I won in 2025, and then this year in July I won Miss Arkansas!”

Reporter: What was your experience at the Miss Arkansas pageant?

Ava: “It was amazing! It was my third time participating, so I got to see a lot of familiar faces. It’s so special to have amazing friendships with the others there, which really takes away a lot of the nerves that we might have. It was also amazing to look back over the past ten years to see how much growth I have made, and to just give it my all on that stage. It’s a blessing to be able to represent all of the other contestants that I’ve been friends with for so long.”

Reporter: Why would you say you wanted to be Miss Arkansas?

Ava: “Well, I grew up as a Little Diamond, a mentorship program for little girls across the state. We were paired with a contestant from the Miss Arkansas contest, and I was paired with my cousin who competed when I was five years old. From then on, I just knew that was what I wanted to do and to be.”

Reporter: Where was the Miss America Pageant, and how did you like it?

Ava: “It was held in West Palm Beach, Florida, and it was definitely a little intimidating at first! When I was finally able to meet all of the contestants from all over the country however, I quickly realized that they were all just nice girls who love serving and encouraging people. It was such a cool experience to be able to have this connection all across the country, and also to be able to represent our great state of Arkansas.”

Miss Arkansas Teen Presley Bennett

Reporter: Where are you from?

Presley: “I am from Whitehall, Arkansas, right outside of Pine Bluff.”

Reporter: What is the significance of Miss Arkansas Teen?

Presley: “Miss Arkansas Teen is for ages thirteen to seventeen, and our job is pretty much the same as Miss Arkansas, in that we do a lot of service work, accumulate scholarships, and we get to go to and experience the Miss Arkansas Pageant. So it’s really about sisterhood camaraderie and being able to serve our state, which I really appreciate being able to do!”

Reporter: What made you decide that you wanted to be Miss Arkansas Teen?

Presley: “I was an Arkansas Diamond for eight years while my mom was director of the Miss Arkansas Pageant, so I was able to be under the wing of a contestant for Miss Arkansas. And I loved every second of it because I got to look up to so many older girls who were pursuing their dreams. So it was so special to me! At thirteen, I was able to help the contestants backstage at Miss Arkansas, and so I gained firsthand experience over the years with the competition. I fell in love with the backstage nitty gritty and the onstage performances, so that’s when I decided to compete.”

Reporter: Did you already know Ms. Ava Weeks, or is your special friendship with her more recent?

Presley: “I had seen her compete before, and we knew each other just in passing, but as I had not competed in a competition along with her, we hadn’t been able to truly develop a close bond as we have now. So it’s been so amazing being able to form a new relationship and to have someone to look up to in that way!”

Reporter: How was your experience at Miss America Teen?

Presley: “It was incredible! The other girls there were some of the sweetest people I have ever met. You get to meet genuine people who are ambitious like you are.”

Reporter: What’s next from Miss Arkansas Teen?

Presley: “So, I am a senior in high school, and I want to pursue a career in pediatric cardiology. I hope to major in biology, to do all of the premed things, and then go into cardiology!”

First, we would like to congratulate Miss Arkansas Ava Weeks and Miss Arkansas Teen Presley Bennett on their magnificent accomplishments this year, and we hope the utmost best for them in the following months and in their lives and careers in the future. We would also like to thank Mrs. Karen Ward, owner of A Venue for You and organizer of the beautiful patriotic decor displayed at the event. You did an amazing job!