Borgia, Pirri win 2017 Miss and Little Miss Fourth of July

Fourth of July royalty was crowned Saturday night as the Ms. and Little Ms. Fourth of July winners were announced at Mt. Hope High School.

Olivia Borgia, 19, and Angela "Ella" Pirri, 8, emerged from a field of 14 and 15 constestants, repectively, to win the crown after answering questions on stage and modeling their evening gowns and party dresses befor a packed Mt. Hope auditorium.

"This is very exciting," Ms. Borgia said minutes after being crowned. "I was really nervous. I didn't think it was going to be me, but I'm really happy it was. It's very humbling."

This isn't Ms. Borgia's first attempt at the crown. The daughter of Michael and Kathleen Borgia competed in the Little Miss Fourth of July pageant when she was younger, falling just short in that competition. As a Bristol native, she's nbo stranger to the parade, watching every year and even marching in it once with her dance team when she was younger. This year, she will lead the celebration.

"I live in Bristol; this is one of the things you do," Ms. Borgia said when asked what made her run for the title. "I did it when I was younger and I made so many friends and had such a good time, I wanted to do it again. I've been in the parade before. This year, I'm just glad I wpon't have to walk."

Ms. Pirri, a second-grader at Colt Andrews School, will join her counterpart on the Ms. Fourth of July float in the parade, something she also is excited to be a part of after having watched every year before.

"I've been in Bristol ever since I was born," said Ms. Pirri, daughter of Rob and Julie Pirri. "I thought it would be a good opportunity (to compete for the crown). It's really exciting. I'm really happy."

Ms. Borgia and Ms. Pirri will be front and center throughout Bristol as the Fourth of July approaches. The pageant winners will appear at various Fourth of July related events, including the concert series at Independence Park, the Drum and Bugle Corps competition, various fundraisers for the Fourth of July Committee, and the event Ms. Borgia is most looking forward to.

"I love going to the concerts, but I get to go to the ball this year. It's always fun to get dressed up," said Ms. Borgia, a nursing major at the University of Rhode Island. "The parade is my favorite. It's just so big and over the top. So many people come in for it. It's really exciting."

Like every year, the judges had a very difficult decision whittling down the names of 29 contestants to a court of three Little Ms. and four Ms. Fourth of July contestants, event chairwoman Pat Squatrito said. Joining Ms. Borgia are first runner-up Sophia Desmarais, second runner-up Emily Marshall and third runner-up Nikola Francis. Joining Ms. Pirri are first runner-up Kara Jean Pisasale, and second runner-up Addison Abate.

"This was a great group of girls," Ms. Squatrito said. "They all deserved to win. Now thw work is over and the fun begins — they get to go to all the events. They're going to represent the town with dignity and grace."