A blackout temporarily dulled the sequined gowns of the 14 Miss University of Florida contestants Monday night at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
About 500 people attended the event sponsored by Florida Blue Key.
“It’s our 57th year putting on the pageant and our first blackout,” said Florida Blue Key President Dana Somerstein.
The pageant started out as planned. The Q-and-A segment went without a hitch, as did several competitions including a swimsuit and fitness showcase, a talent portion and an eveningwear segment.
While the judges were tabulating the results backstage, Sabor Latino took the stage for a surprise performance when the Phillips Center lost power.
At first, the crowd thought it was part of the performance.
“Once we realized the power wasn’t going to come back on, we quickly evacuated the building,” said Matt Cox, the operations director for University of Florida Performing Arts.
UPD arrived to make sure people evacuated safely. The audience then stood outside in the rain.
Dance Marathon members raised morale by pulling up a car, blaring a mix through the stereo and performing a choreographed dance.
The cause of the power outage could not be determined, but the generator provided emergency lighting for the remaining audience members to gather in the lobby of the Phillips Center. The 14 contestants flanked the double staircase while winners and runners-up were announced.
Rachel Hart, an advertising and business freshman, won. She will continue on to the Miss Florida pageant.
Rachel Hart, a UF advertising and business freshman, finishes playing “Beethoven with a Twist” during the Miss University of Florida Scholarship Pageant 2013 Monday night.
