OCEAN CITY — The family bond means a lot to Junior Miss Ocean City 2026 Arianna DiAntonio. That makes this past year extra special because she shared it with her older sister, Antonella, who finished her tenure as Miss Ocean City this past Saturday evening.
This coming Saturday evening, Aug. 15, it will be Arianna crowning her successor at the Ocean City Music Pier.
“I do love doing the pageants with my sister. I do feel that’s one of the reasons why I started it was because we got to do it together,” she said. “We’ve always grown up doing everything together and just being best friends.”
Antonella just took off to the University of Delaware, where as a Blue Hen she earned a coveted spot on the dance team, which competes in the top collegiate division.
“It’s going to be crazy. I literally don’t know what I’m going to do without her,” Arianna said. “I think that me and my mom both are going to be a little bit lost. We like to say that Antonella is our mom because she runs our schedule and does everything for us, but we will figure it out and we’re going to be visiting her all the time.
“I’m going to be up there for dance clinics and for her games, so I’m excited.”
Arianna, 16, also a talented dancer, is going into her junior year at Ocean City High School. She wants to attend the University Delaware as well after she graduates, majoring in fashion merchandising.
“I can’t be separated from her too long,” she said about her sister, smiling.
There is another family connection, even though it’s not by blood. It’s with Little Miss Ocean City 2026 Harper Juelg.
Arianna said the best part of this past year representing the resort as Junior Miss was getting to do it with Harper as well as Antonella.
“I feel like this year we all just really clicked and it’s been such a special group,” she said. “My Little Miss year was just as great, but it’s different doing it with your sister. Not a lot of people get to do that, so I’m just grateful to have two people that I get to call family in my life.”
Arianna has been dancing since she was 2 years old.
“I’ve been dancing pretty much before I could even walk,” she said. “I love the family aspect about it. I’ve made some of my best friends during the years I’ve been dancing.”
She enjoys different styles.
“I’m more of a jazz girl, but I also love to do hip-hop because you can express yourself. It’s also just fun and upbeat.”
Daughter of Anthony and Angelica DiAntonio of Sea Isle City, Arianna encourages other girls to try the pageant route, saying it has been good for her confidence.
“It helps you with all life activities, not just pageants. It helps me communicate with adults, for jobs, in interviews,” she said.
She also wants to follow in her sister’s footsteps another way. Antonella was the first girl to hold all three titles in the city: Little Miss, Junior Miss and Miss Ocean City.
For Arianna, it’s two down and one to go.
“I would love to be Miss Ocean City and I will be trying out for it next summer,” she said. “I’m just really looking forward to that and enjoying it with all the other contestants.”
The Junior Miss Ocean City Pageant is at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Ocean City Music Pier. There are 13 girls competing for the title in interview, poise and composure, talent and on-stage question.