Families planning an October visit to Marshall have two different dates to keep straight. The Miss FireAnt Festival Pageant is planned for Saturday, October 3, 2026. The Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce lists the 44th Annual FireAnt Festival for Saturday, October 10, 2026, in downtown Marshall.
The dates are one week apart. Pageant participants should get their final venue, arrival time, division, and paperwork directly from Kaitlyn. The downtown festival schedule should not be used as the pageant’s check-in instructions. See the Chamber’s festival announcement.
A tradition worth remembering carefully
The FireAnt name is woven into Marshall’s community memory. The University of North Texas holds a festival photograph dated 1993/1994, with a sleeve note identifying the 1993 Fire Ant Festival. It is a small piece of a much larger hometown story.
The pageant’s history deserves the same care. A Visit Marshall listing dated November 8, 2019 mentions a Miss Fire Ant Scholarship Pageant. The Chamber’s 2025 sponsorship letter also mentions a FireAnt King & Queen Scholarship Competition. Those references do not establish the last year of the particular Miss FireAnt pageant being brought back in 2026.
We are collecting dated programs, flyers, and other records to help document that history. If your family remembers a past Miss FireAnt pageant, Kaitlyn would welcome a description of what you have. Please ask before sending photographs that identify children or other people, and include the year if you know it.
The dates to put on your calendar
- September 14: published pageant sponsorship deadline.
- September 27: contestant entry and paperwork deadline.
- October 3: Miss FireAnt Festival Pageant in Marshall.
- October 10: the Chamber’s downtown FireAnt Festival.
The contestant entry fee is $85. Kaitlyn confirms divisions, required forms, payment instructions, and the final venue and schedule. Businesses can review pageant sponsorship opportunities before making a commitment.
Make new memories while honoring the old ones
A hometown tradition lasts when another generation has a reason to care about it. The families taking part this October, and the businesses willing to support them, can help create those next memories. Whether you enter a contestant, sponsor an award, or share accurate event information, start with Kaitlyn at 903-926-5553.