The line up of contestants was stellar, the accomplishments of senior honorees outstanding and the ‘littles’ charmed the crowd.
Escalon’s Park Fete Week included a trio of special events prior to the July 24-25 downtown celebration.
Dave and Sally Mantooth were selected as the 2026 Senior Mr. and Mrs. Escalon and were recognized with awards and accolades for their many career highlights and community endeavors. They enjoyed a luncheon in their honor on July 21 at the Escalon Community Center.
On July 22, a group of incoming junior and senior girls for Escalon High School stepped on to the stage for the Miss Escalon Pageant. In order of their appearance, contestants were: junior Saphira Melo, senior Ashley Flores, senior Brooklyn Dugo, senior Jianna Davis, senior Elizabeth Castro, junior Hailey Montero, senior Tyliann Holback. Also, senior Olivia Van De Pol, senior Nevaeh Grisham, senior Alondra Aguirre, senior Payton Abbott, junior Kaitlynn Craig, junior Alexis Ciriello, senior Andrea Perez-Avila, senior Selah Jansen, senior Victoria Calderon, junior Dani Hagen, senior Rebecca Wampler and senior Stephanie Olmos.
Taking home the title was Olivia Van De Pol.
“It’s so incredible … I’ve never experienced anything like this and I’m so grateful,” Van De Pol explained. “This year I just decided that I really wanted to be a part of my community … I love my people and I really want to do everything I can for them.”
As far as competing against 18 fellow EHS students, Van De Pol said it was a joy to be a part of the process.
“Every girl is so unique and beautiful and talented in her own way and I got to know them in a way that I would not have if I hadn’t competed in this and I’m just so grateful for getting to know them on that level,” she explained.
Co-coordinator Renee Snow said the girls also were formed into six teams to put together the various baskets that were offered during the evening.
“What I really tried to do was put girls with girls that maybe they weren’t friends with so they could form new friendships and get to know each other better,” Snow said. “They went around town collecting donations from family, from friends, from many local businesses. … we thought this would be a simple way to raise more money; we raised over $800 on baskets alone.”
She also said the contestants began working on the pageant at the end of May, with several weeks of preparation.
“I’m so proud of all the girls,” Snow shared.
Judges’ auditor and chairperson Shim Lacy has spent 18 years judging the Miss Escalon Pageant.
“This year there were 19 contestants, that is incredible; Escalon has so much to be proud of, for a city this size to have 19 girls, juniors and seniors, who answered the call to be a leader in their community, is just so much to be proud of,” said Lacy, who oversees the Manteca Youth Focus scholarship and leadership program. “The judges really had a difficult decision in front of them.”
She added that judges did have an opportunity for one-on-one interviews with the contestants prior to the actual pageant, in addition to seeing them on stage in front of family and friends. Lacy came away impressed with the way they handled themselves.
“The girls overall as a group, they really understand Escalon and the tight knit community and the compassion and unity that Escalon has and they were able to communicate that throughout every phase of competition,” Lacy said. “They’re just chock full of ideas and they’re incredible young leaders.”
For the Little Mr. and Little Miss Escalon Pageant on July 23, the list of contestants was long as well, featuring seven boys and 12 girls.
Those in the running for Little Mr. Escalon were Weston Johnson, Kaiden Messersmith, Easton Beauving, Grayson McManis, Kade McCoon, Dakota Murken and Austin Miller.
Little Miss Escalon hopefuls were Cassia Melo, Laikyn Sharp, Selena Hall, Kora Camacho, Avery Messersmith, Rylie Messersmith, Sarai Macias, Ailani Macias, Tinsley Beauving, Lily Showalter, Valentina Cueva, and Aurora Murken.
Winning the titles were Kade McCoon and Laikyn Sharp with the outgoing young royals crowning their successors. Austin Felber presented Kade McCoon with his crown and sash while Kade’s older sister – Rylee McCoon, the 2025 Little Miss Escalon – was happy to place the crown on Laikyn Sharp’s head and also was excited for her brother to follow in her footsteps as a young city ambassador.
For his part, young Kade was looking forward to being in the July 25 parade and eating some candy along with tossing it out to parade watchers, while Laikyn summed up her feelings on winning the Little Miss title in one word: “Happy.”
