When women step onto the stage at the 6th Annual Beyond Beautiful World Pageant Finals in Orland Park, they will be competing for more than a crown.
They will be sharing their stories, showcasing their talents and celebrating the women they have become.
The Beyond Beautiful World Pageant Finals will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, in Orland Park, bringing together eight women ages 25 to 55 for an evening centered on confidence, individuality, accomplishment and personal transformation.
Ria Harris Yarbough, founder and national director of the Northern Region, created Beyond Beautiful World in 2021 with the goal of providing adult women with a different kind of pageant experience.
“What I like most about the Beyond Beautiful World Pageant is watching women evolve throughout the Pageant season,” said Yarbough, a Chicago resident. “They don’t come to us simply to compete for a crown. They come with different stories, experiences, accomplishments, challenges and goals, and we have the opportunity to watch them grow in confidence, discover new things about themselves and build genuine relationships with other women.”
The pageant is built around six foundational pillars: Advocacy, Testimonials, Entrepreneurship, Sisterhood, Philanthropy and Self-Evolution.
Those themes will be evident throughout the final competition, where delegates will participate in several areas designed to showcase much more than traditional pageant skills.
The mandatory areas of competition include Phoenix Rising Testimonials, Onstage Q&A, Fun Fashion and Evening Gown.
During the Phoenix Rising Testimonials, delegates share personal stories of adversity, perseverance and transformation. The Onstage Q&A challenges contestants to think on their feet and communicate with confidence, authenticity and poise.
Fun Fashion gives delegates an opportunity to showcase their personalities and individual styles, while Evening Gown focuses on elegance, confidence, poise and stage presence.
Several optional competitions give delegates additional opportunities to stand out.
Talent allows contestants to share their individual abilities, while Living My Life Like It’s Golden gives delegates the chance to model golden apparel and express their creativity and personality.
The Black Pearl Pitch focuses on entrepreneurship. Delegates can present an existing business or nonprofit organization or pitch a concept, with the competition highlighting creativity, vision and communication skills.
Together, the competitions reflect what Yarbough said separates Beyond Beautiful World from a traditional beauty pageant.
“Together, these Areas of Competition give audiences an opportunity to experience what distinguishes the Beyond Beautiful World Pageant—a Pageant that recognizes women not simply for their outward beauty, but for their stories, accomplishments, individuality and continued self-evolution,” she said.
There is also no upper age limit to compete.
Women can enter beginning at age 21, creating an opportunity for contestants from different generations and stages of life to participate.
“I especially value that there is no upper age limit,” Yarbough said. “Women should never reach an age when they are told their opportunity to be seen, celebrated, challenged or experience something new has passed.”
The pageant features four age divisions: Ms. Diamond for women ages 21-29, Ms. Ruby for ages 30-39, Ms. Emerald for ages 40-49 and Ms. Sapphire for women 50 and older.
The top overall title is Ms. Beyond Beautiful World, which can be awarded to a delegate from any age division. The title goes to the contestant with the highest overall score in the mandatory areas of competition.
Winners are determined through a combination of judges’ scores and a Queens Readiness Score determined by the two national directors. The readiness score considers a delegate’s participation, preparation and development throughout the pageant season, including attendance and participation in bi-monthly development modules.
Judges evaluate communication skills, confidence, poise, authenticity, personality, presentation and stage presence.
“We are not looking for one particular physical appearance, body type or age,” Yarbough said. “We are looking at the total woman and her readiness to represent the Beyond Beautiful World Pageant system.”
This year’s judging panel includes Earl Winfrey and Wanda Boelton of IntellectualRadio.com; Jasmine Alvarado; Gloria Kennedy, state director of the Ms. Illinois Senior America Pageant; Tasha Parnell; Kristina Williams, Ms. Ruby Beyond Beautiful World 2024; Dr. Ericka Patterson; Shirlene Small of Emerging Business Solutions Group; Brian Green, a retired Cook County Adult Probation Officer; Alice Boswell, the inaugural Ms. Sapphire Beyond Beautiful World; Darnesha Evans, CEO of Project Kennedy NFP; Yolanda Ankrum; and Brenda Johnson.
Yarbough said judges are selected from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds, including business, media, community service and pageantry. Some have judged previous competitions, while others are serving on the panel for the first time.
The goal, she said, is to provide a fair and objective evaluation while understanding that Beyond Beautiful World is not simply a traditional beauty competition.
For Yarbough, the most rewarding part of the experience happens before the crown is placed on a winner’s head.
“The crowning is exciting, but for me, the most meaningful part is seeing the difference between the woman who entered the Pageant and the woman who walks away from the experience,” she said.
Yarbough has been involved with the organization since its beginning and said she is proud to see it reach its sixth year.
“What I would most like people to know is that the Beyond Beautiful World Pageant experience extends far beyond Pageant Weekend,” she said. “Our purpose is to provide adult women with opportunities to challenge themselves, grow personally, form meaningful connections and use their experiences to positively impact others.”
The community can attend the Pageant Weekend events beginning with preliminaries at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Tickets for the preliminaries are $30.
Finals will take place Saturday, Oct. 24. Doors open at 4 p.m., dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and the pageant begins at 6 p.m. Finals pageant-only admission is $50, general admission with dinner is $80 and VIP admission with dinner is $90. VIP admission includes premier seating and a souvenir program book.
Tickets are available at www.beyondbeautifulworld.com.
As eight delegates prepare to take the stage, Yarbough hopes the experience will inspire women who may have never considered entering a pageant or believe their opportunity has passed.
“We believe there is always another chapter to write, another goal to pursue and another opportunity to become the woman you are still evolving into,” she said.
