There are 12 contestants for this year’s Miss Escalon Pageant, a mix of incoming junior and senior girls at Escalon High School.
Participants are to include Ayana Cocio, Neveah Grisham, Tyliann Holback, Carolina Torres, Gianna Wilson, Tatem Esteves, Gabriela de La O Vigil, Gloria Segura, Itzel Mancilla, Natalie Albor, Jaqueline Aguayo and Andrea Perez-Avila.
Renee Snow is serving once again as the overall pageant coordinator, working with co-coordinator Emelyn Mancilla.
“We had a workout day hosted by Aimee Foster from EscalonFit,” Snow said of the girls spending time getting into the gym together and bonding ahead of the Wednesday, July 23 pageant. “The winner of Miss Escalon also gets a gym membership.”
Leann Castellanos from Cstreetsocial has worked with the group, taking photographs and Snow said the team from Manteca Youth Focus, led by Shim Lacy, will once again do the judging for the Miss Escalon Pageant.
“Ambra Pinol has also donated her talents and has put together the choreography for the dance,” said Snow.
The Miss Escalon Pageant is being celebrated as the Giddy-Up Gala this year, to go along with the overall Western theme of Park Fete. Dinner will be catered by Mike’s Branding Iron; tickets are $35 and can be ordered through Snow by calling or texting 209-602-3241. Deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, July 18.
Dinner will be at 6 p.m. on July 23 at the Escalon Community Center, followed by the pageant at 7 p.m.
The Little Mr. and Miss Escalon Pageant is set for Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m., open to all at the Community Center. Theme is ‘Little Buckaroos’ and there are 16 youngsters vying for the titles. Snow said all have been working hard learning their dance moves as well, and are eager to take the stage in front of family and friends on July 24.
These two pageants, along with the Senior Mr. and Mrs. Escalon luncheon set for Tuesday, July 22 at noon at the Community Center, highlighting Adrian and Valerie Van Houten, make up the pre-Park Fete events, just ahead of the two-day summer gathering, which will run from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26 in the heart of downtown. Festivities will be centered in and around the Main Street Park. The jam-packed schedule is shaping up, said Lions Club member and Park Fete Coordinator Jeff Miller.
He said he is working with “a great group of volunteers” to get all the plans in place, members of the community who are not in the Lions Club but are donating their time and expertise to help the sponsoring organization put on a great event for local residents.
“Our theme is Escalon Round Up, with more of a rodeo, cowboy-cowgirl type of thing,” Miller said.
Some longstanding favorites will remain in place, with the parade on Saturday morning – headlined by Grand Marshal Bill Augusto – the carnival area with rides and games for kids, nearly non-stop entertainment on stage, food, beverages, activities for kids, vendor booths and more. Miller said, by popular demand, a mechanical bull is being added in the carnival area.
“Escalon Strong will be running their cornhole tournament on Friday night, we also will have bicycle races for youngsters on Friday night,” Miller added. “We’re also bringing back the Park Fete Run, Saturday morning, and EscalonFit is coordinating that.”
Also returning is the horseshoe tournament on Saturday afternoon, along with the second annual Escalon Poker Club poker tournament on Saturday, being hosted at the Escalon Grange Hall.
The Lions Club will have its traditional Beer Booth on Second Street and the Escalon Parks Foundation will be staffing their wine booth, adjacent to the caboose in Main Street Park.
The Park Fete Run will be hosted at El Portal Middle School on First Street; there will be stick horse races for kids on Main Street on Saturday morning before the parade while events after the parade are to include a flag folding ceremony by the Escalon American Legion, the PowerHouse Dance Studio dancers performing several routines on stage, and the Escalon Fire Department giving local youngsters a chance to try their hand at spraying the fire hose.
Miller said there will be plenty for everyone to enjoy at the 2025 edition of Park Fete.
“I’m lucky to have a fantastic committee,” he said.
