This weekend’s Benedum Festival pageants produced some new ambassadors for Bridgeport’s signature summer festival.

 

Winners of Saturday’s children’s pageant were: Miss Baby Queen Shelby Mascola; Miss Tiny Queen Emory Haddix; Miss Little Queen Breanna Starkey and Miss Queen Grayson Godfrey.

 

Crowned Sunday were Miss Preteen Queen Samantha Kisamore, Miss Teen Queen Courtney Trader and Queen Danielle Hamner.

 

The events also reflected the underlying benefits of pageant participation, said Director Judi Giffen.

 

“It shows what pageants do for the girls – the self-confidence it gives them to pursue their careers,” she said.

 

Assisting with and emceeing the pageants were former Benedum Festival royalty and others involved in the pageant system.

 

Emceeing Saturday was Isabella Diserio, former Miss Preteen Queen and Gladys Magazine model, who will soon be attending the New York Film Academy School for the Performing Arts. Serving as emcee for Sunday’s pageant was Kristin Wilson, 2014 Ms. West Virginia United States, who in a couple of weeks will compete for the national title.

 

Serving as Giffen’s backstage assistant was 2011 Benedum Festival Queen Morgan Kesecker. Last year’s Teen Queen Kathryn Scarbro also helped with the pageants before flying out yesterday to Orlando, where she will compete nationally and internationally for TV and modeling positions.

 

Both events were held at the Benedum Civic Center. Though not as many contestants competed as in recent past years, it was a very successful pageant series, Giffen said.

 

“We had some tough competition and that’s what we wanted. The girls who competed truly wanted it,” she said.

 

2014 Benedum Festival Queen Danielle Hamner is a return contestant. This is her first win, Giffen said. She will begin her festival reign by speaking at the July 10 Benedum Fellows Banquet at Bridgeport Conference Center. She and other winners will then make various appearances at the July 11-12 festival at Bridgeport City Park.

 

Other contestants at Saturday’s children’s pageant were Miss Baby Queen 1^st runner-up and Miss Photogenic Violet Campbell and 2nd runner up Rosalia Hart-Jaime and contestants Jalyssa Reynolds and Brooklyn Wheeler; Miss Tiny Queen 1^st runner-up Jameson Trippett, 2^nd runner-up Bentley Collins  and Miss Photogenic Bentley Collins; Miss Little Queen 1st runner up Jaylyn Smith, 2nd runner-up & Fan Favorite Erica Trader, Miss Photogenic Riley Ann Burkhammer and contestants Blake Hepner, Lily Matheny and Caylie Peters; Little Miss Queen 1st runner-up Sophia Colon , 2nd runner-up Hannah Wayne, Miss Photogenic Grayson Godfrey and contestants Calleigh Morgan, Maddie Stallman, Miyah Swiger and Karlie Wright.