46th Annual Miss Val Verde Pageant Opens Saturday with Selena Tribute

Rae Valencia walked into the Red Oak Ballroom Saturday night as Miss Val Verde for the last time, her yearlong run as the county's top civic ambassador set to close inside the Del Rio Civic Center. The moment she surrendered her crown marked 46 consecutive years of the Miss Val Verde Pageant, which this edition distinguished with something new: a tribute performance honoring Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the late Mexican-American music icon whose connection to South Texas runs as deep in communities like Del Rio as anywhere.

Sixteen delegates competed for the title under the direction of Claudia Lopez, the pageant director for Miss Val Verde 2026. The field included Aimee Alcántara, Antonella Rodriguez, Lemon Grace Albritton, Gabriela Rios, Wylei Barrera, Ziana Robles, Amilia Zambrano, Marie Nope, Raegan Castillo, Bella Dominguez, Amaya Mendoza, Giselle Chacon, Leilani Garcia, Karyme Valencia, Evelyn Dominguez, and Aaliyah Alonso.

Lopez confirmed the Selena-themed tribute would be woven into the evening's program, blending traditional pageant competition with regional cultural celebration. The choice to center the show on Quintanilla-Pérez's legacy tied the competition explicitly to the musical and cultural identity of the Texas-Mexico border, giving the event a draw that extended beyond its established audience of families and civic leaders.

Two other outgoing titleholders joined Valencia in their final appearances wearing their crowns. Kiana Villa had served as Miss Val Verde Teen 2025, and Rebecca Falcon held the Jr. Miss Val Verde 2025 title. All three transfers to the incoming court took place Saturday evening at the Red Oak Ballroom, capping a year in which each titleholder served as a public representative for Val Verde County at schools, veterans' events, and community outreach programs.

The pageant traces its roots to 1980 and has operated continuously since as a scholarship and civic leadership program, not simply a competition. Winners carry yearlong ambassador commitments that put them in front of local organizations, cultural groups, and elected officials throughout the calendar year.

Doors opened at 5:15 p.m., with competition beginning at 6 p.m. and general-admission tickets set at $25. The incoming court will now take on the ambassador responsibilities that Valencia, Villa, and Falcon each carried through 2025, representing Del Rio across Val Verde County and beyond.