Miss Niles Pageant set for June 28

Staff report

Niles

The Miss and Little Miss Niles pageants are scheduled for 4 p.m. June 28 at the McKinley Birthplace Museum and Library, 40 N. Main St., downtown. The pageants coincide with the Harry Stevens Hot Dog Day Festival, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day, also downtown.

Registration forms have been distributed throughout the Niles school system and may be obtained at the Ralph A. Infante Wellness Center, 213 Sharkey Road; city building, 34 W. State St.; and Stoneyard Grill & Tavern, 41 S. Main St.

Registration fees are $40, due on or before May 25. Applicants can save $10 by registering before May 18, and no entries will be accepted after May 25. For information call 330-501-8680 or 330-301-8386.

After a hiatus of nearly 20 years, the Miss and Little Miss Niles pageants made a successful reappearance last year during the festival. Former Miss Niles Cindy Rogers and a newly established pageant committee joined with the festival to restore the pageant.

Its goals were not only to revitalize the tradition, but also to help young ladies focus more on poise, personality, purpose and pride in themselves and their community.

The committee has added a third division to this year’s event as well as making some changes to the format and attire for the Miss Niles competition.

The divisions are Little Miss for ages 5 through 8; Junior Miss for ages 11 through 14; and Miss for ages 15 through graduating seniors of the class of 2015.

The Little Miss and Junior Miss contestants will be judged in casual summer attire and party dresses, whereas swimsuit competition in the Miss division has been replaced with business-interview attire and evening gowns.

Interview questions will remain, but instead of having separate start times for each division, the entire pageant will begin at 4 p.m.

Finalists and runners-up will be announced at the end of the pageant at about 7 p.m.

Contestants also will appear earlier that afternoon at the Niles 4th of July Parade.

Winners are expected to represent the city as respectable community members and will be required to participate in Niles parades, grand openings of new businesses as requested and attendance at two or more community events throughout their term. Little Miss and Junior Miss winners also are asked to wear their crowns and sashes at all community functions.

Finalists will receive up to $500 in cash prizes, including crowns, trophies, jewelry, photo sessions and various shopping, dining and beauty certificates. In lieu of cash, an American Girl doll will be awarded to the 2015 Little Miss.