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Last Saturday night hundreds of people gathered in the auditorium at Atlee High School, ready to cheer on the seven young women vying for the title of Miss Mechanicsville 2008.
The spectacle included everything you would imagine a beauty pageant should—there were roses, there were batons flying through the air, there were sparkly gowns and broad smiles.
And ultimately, there was a crown.
As the evening drew to a close, Joelle Wade, Miss Mehanicsville 2007, placed this year’s shiny prize on the head of Miss Mechanicsville 2008, Victoria Maiden.
Maiden is a student a Lee-Davis High School, and in addition to her crown and a $2500 scholarship, she also won first place in the talent category after dazzling the crowd with her spirited baton twirling.
When asked how she felt relinquishing her reign, Wade said, “I really enjoyed the year, but I’m ready to give it to someone else, so that she can have the chance to have as much fun as I did with it.”
Wade, a graduate of Lee-Davis High School, is currently studying fashion design at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The theme of this year’s pageant was A Night in New Orleans. As the curtain rose, contestants dressed in Mardi Gras hues of green, purple and gold danced to Earl King’s “No City Like New Orleans.”
Jamie Manning, a contestant from Lee-Davis High School, said that it took about six weeks to learn the dance routines. She spoke backstage, in a room filled with scattered gowns and nervous excitement, where hairdressers curled and arranged hair and contestants checked their make-up one last time before heading into the limelight.
“Everybody’s nervous,” said Manning. “That’s only human. But I thought this would be something fun to do, and if you win, you can represent our town and county.”
Maiden is joined by two other newly appointed Miss Mechanicsvilles: Hannah Tibbett, who won Junior Miss Mechanicsville, and Taylor Dawson, who won Little Miss Mechanicsville.
The three will participate in community events throughout the year, such as the Hanover Tomato Festival, the State Fair and the Mechanicsville Christmas Parade.
“I know a lot of people love the parades, but my favorites were the fairs, where you got to interact with people a whole lot,” said Wade.
Recalling the reaction of children who approached at her at these activities, she said, “Everyone thinks you’re a princess!”
