There they are: 52 Miss America contestants in Atlantic City

The pageant to crown Miss America 2017 is September 6-11.

The contestants from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico met the public in front of Boardwalk Hall on Tuesday.

The pageant was lured back to New Jersey with state subsidies exceeding $12 million.

The seven-year detour from Atlantic City is what Miss America CEO Sam Haskell on Tuesday called “our little vacation in Las Vegas”, one he said organizers don’t talk about anymore, ostensibly due to flagging TV ratings during a period that saw the pageant both booted off network TV and framed as a reality show.

“I’m thrilled to be passing on the crown to one of these wonderful young women”, she said. ‘I think it’s in very good hands’. The new Miss America will be crowned September 11th.

“I’m also here to prove that you can be smart, you can have a degree in neuroscience and go to medical school”, she added.

After being crowned back in June, the victor said: ‘I’m on cloud nine really just to be Miss Missouri.

Flowing trousers and jumpsuits ruled the shoreside runway, supplanting dresses on Miss America hopefuls including Miss Texas, Miss Miss Vermont and Miss Missouri, Erin O’Flaherty, the first openly gay contestant in what has been almost a century of pageant history.

“I’m so excited. I still can’t believe it!” said Nagarajan. But also there will be many appearances that I do that have nothing to do with that’.

The pageant is already set to be a star-studded affair, with judges including singer Ciara, Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, NBA team owner Mark Cuban, Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells Hawkes, as well as Laura Marano, Sara Foster, and Cole Swindell.

“A lot of emotions are going through my head right now, but the one big emotion now is excitement”, Miss Louisiana 2016 Justine Ker said. “We may be struggling financially, but we know where we want to go”.