On Saturday, contestants, both male and female, of all ages took the stage at the Ro-Na Theater for the first ever Miss Ironton Area pageant.

The event, organized by Ironton aLive, crowned winners in several categories, including Sydnee Shoupe, 17, of Greenup County, who was named Miss Ironton Area, and Maya Mullins, 13, of Ironton Middle School, who was named Junior Miss Ironton Area.

The event drew families from the five eligible counties, Lawrence and Scioto in Ohio, Boyd and Greeup in Kentucky and Cabell in West Virginia, and, based on the response to our posts on Facebook about the pageant, was extremely well received by the community.

Pageants are about much more than physical beauty, with entrants rated for their presentation, interview skills, the attire they assemble and other factors.

As many parents said, they were proud of their sons and daughters for their try at the pageant and were impressed with the confidence they showed in taking the stage before a crowd.

The winners will represent the Ironton area at many events, festivals and parades.

We congratulate Shoupe, Mullins and all category winners and hope the pageant sees continued success and growth in years to come.