It wouldn’t be Park Fete in Escalon without a couple of pageants – and this year was no different.

Returning for 2021 after the one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020, the Miss Escalon Pageant was staged on Wednesday, Aug. 4 and the Little Mr. and Little Miss Escalon Pageant took to the stage on Thursday, Aug. 5.

Both events were hosted at the Escalon Community Center. Wednesday night featured a sit down dinner catered by Mike’s Branding Iron BBQ, and an evening of casual wear and formal wear modeling, along with some impromptu questions for the candidates. In the running for Miss Escalon 2021 were Bella Ambro, Maddison Hagglund, Hannah Luna and Marcela Mancilla.

Madison Hagglund earned the title and was presented with her crown and bouquet by outgoing Miss Escalon Mya Beary, who also had the opportunity to pose the impromptu questions during the pageant and take a final walk on the runway as her time as Miss Escalon came to an end.

Thursday, it was the youngsters on the stage, with 10 hopefuls in the running. Ages ranged from 5 to 7 years old and contestants were Sladyn Caton, Ella Engstrand, Gunner Engstrand, Rylee Hawkins, Olivia Kost, Maddilyn Leal, Angelina Machen, Marcus Montgomery, Morgan Montgomery and Brynn Scully. They performed a couple of dance routines, answered impromptu questions and stated why they wanted to represent the city. At the pageant’s end, all contestants were presented with some gifts, and earning the titles were Marcus Montgomery as Little Mr. Escalon and Rylee Hawkins as Little Miss Escalon.

All contestants from both pageants also took part in a number of the weekend Park Fete events, including riding in the Saturday morning parade.