Miss High Octane Pinup Contest moves to Merrill car show

The Miss High Octane Pinup Contest will make its debut in Merrill this Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2026. The contest will be held in conjunction with the Merrill Lions Labor Day Car Show and in association with VFW Post 1638, according to organizer Beth Juris, who performs as “Dot Holiday.”
I am hosting a pinup contest in conjunction with the local VFW to be held at the Lions Labor Day Car Show this year,” Juris said.
The contest got its start in Wausau in 2016 and ran through 2020, when it was discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Wausau’s car show never returned to the city’s 400 Block afterward, Juris said.
“Wausau never held the car show on the 400 Block again, so I am really excited to bring this event to Merrill, where I have resided for the last three years,” she said.
The official contest, which is judged on period-appropriate hair and makeup and attire, in addition to posing and an interview question, will be held at 1 p.m. on Sept. 7. While contestants must be age 18 or older, “This contest is about having fun and meeting new people,” Juris said in her rules. “A true pinup community helps to build each other up.”

The pinup contest is billed as a family-friendly event, so no two-piece swimsuits or super-revealing clothing is permitted. Answers to questions, language used, and poses must all be family appropriate.
“All contestants will come onto stage as their bio is read and strike 2-3 poses,” the contest rules say. “You can bring your own prop onto stage as long as it is small enough for you to carry on and off with you, but [it] is not necessary.”
Contestants are also asked to “be mindful of the cars you may pose with on display.” They are asked to get permission from the vehicle owner before posing with the vehicle or, if the owner is not present to give consent to touch or pose inside the vehicle, contestants are asked to pose near the vehicle without touching it. “Even when given permission to touch, please be careful not to scratch some very expensive paint jobs/vehicles with buttons/pins/rings/bracelets/nails/etc.,” the rules add.
Contestants will be asked to provide their hometown, pinup name, their favorite classic vehicle (and why it is their favorite), their secret talent, and their life motto or favorite quote, in addition to a photo for use on Facebook, which need not be a professional photo.
The contest, along with the Merrill Lions Labor Day Car Show, is held at the Merrill Fairgrounds.
Registration for the contest is now open. More information is available on the contest’s Facebook page: facebook.com/misshighoctane