Fiesta Days gets underway with pageants
Dressed in a turquoise tutu, Riley Madison, 4, of Vacaville, sings "You Are My Sunshine," as mistress of ceremonies Jessica Johnson looks on, during the 2015 Little Miss & Mr. Fiesta Days Pageant on Saturday in the Harbor Theatre in Suisun City. — Richard Bammer, The Reporter
By Richard Bammer | rbammer@thereporter.com | Vacaville Reporter
PUBLISHED: May 16, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: August 29, 2018 at 12:00 a.m.
Before the colorful floats and brassy bands pass in review, Fiesta Days each year gets underway with the Solano County Pageant, a day of infants to mature moms showing off well-groomed looks in their "Sunday best," vying for titles in several different age categories.
Held this year in Harbor Theatre in Suisun City, the pageant started shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday with "The Star-Spangled Banner," and mistress of ceremonies Jessica Johnson wasted no time announcing the first of nine categories, Baby Miss. Its six entrants ranged in age from 5 months to nearly 2 years.
No surprise, "Awwwww" moments continued nearly nonstop throughout the two-hour event directed by Carole Warren, who also happens to be the grand marshal of the Fiesta Days Parade on May 23.
The somewhat hackneyed expression "terminally cute" was coined to describe the children who entered the 2015 Little Miss & Mr. Fiesta Days Pageant.
Even a jaded casual observer stageside in the 150-seat theater would have to concede that Brookelynn Marsh, 1, and Daisy Woods, 8 months, both of Vacaville, were beautiful and clear contenders for the Baby Miss title.
The same descriptors applied to the five Mr. Baby entrants and certainly to Henry Nelson, 6 months, of Vacaville, whose mother described him as a wonderful baby (naturally), one who is "always smiling."
But who could top the nickname given to Easton Kucala, 7 months, of Vacaville? "Capt. Munch," his mother said, "loves all the animals on the farm."
At one point, Johnson asked Jayden Venegas, also a Baby Mr. contender, to name his favorite superhero.
When he announced "Spider-Man," Johnson asked Jayden, "Can you show us your superhero moves?"
A humorous, disjointed series of dance steps followed, as he turned completely around in the process. It was a momentary showstopper, prompting the audience to applaud.
In the Tiny Miss category, Sofia Crocker, 2, of Vacaville was one of four seeking the title. A symphony in white, she wore a white dress, white gloves, white sandals and walked with an attractive spring in her step.
Leah Banaga, Marlin Erickson and Isabell Costa contended for the Jr. Petite Miss, but the Petite Miss category boasted six entrants, many of them from Vacaville, including Gabriela Corrales, Jazmine Gainey, Aliana Reyes, and Cara Steers.
In the same category, Riley Madison, 4, of Vacaville, wearing a turquoise tutu of sorts, sang "You Are My Sunshine," as Johnson squatted down to look the youngster in the eyes as she performed. Another show-stopping moment.
Also in the same category, it was hard to take eyes off Kaylee Alegria, 5, who, at Johnson's urging "modeled" for the audience, pacing the stage right to left, in a white dress with burgundy polka dots, with a burgundy sash around her waist over small, white heeled shoes.
As the show progressed, so did the ages of the children. The seven entrants in the Little Miss category were 6 to 8 years old and in another world away in terms of their confidence, poise and ability to articulate their responses to Johnson's gentle questioning under the spotlight.
Olivia St. Surin of Fairfield wanted "to be on the student council" at her school "to prevent bullying." Brynn Murray, the rhinestones on her dress sparkling, wanted to help the homeless — "They have no place to eat or sleep," she said. Sara Shafer of Vacaville told Johnson that she loved swimming, gymnastics and baseball.
"Go, Giants!" she blurted out, eliciting laughter and some applause.
Some of the most lighthearted moments came during the Young Mr. category.
Gordan Sweeney of Fairfield, clad in a black tuxedo, told Johnson his favorite part of the school days was "recess." His favorite car? "A Cadillac." Dominic Smith, when asked by Johnson to mention where he lives, said, "A place." He has a dog, a cat, and a sister.
Darina Dunbar, 8, of Fairfield, competing in the Young Miss category with two others, wants to become a video game designer, she told Johnson.
"You get to design games and try them out," she said.
Wearing a blue dress, Dayna Ehlert, 9, of Vacaville, admitted she broke an arm in a recent bicycle accident. She then sang an exceedingly passable cover version of Selena Gomez's "Who Says?"
And Sharon Vuong, 9, of Fairfield, plays piano and boasted that she "has a sharp ear for music." When not in school, she helps homeless children and practices dance and gymnastics, then showed off several ballet moves to prove it.
The Jr. Miss category featured three 12-year-old girls, all of them from Vacaville.
Sierra Spicer wants to become a doctor, then twirled a baton; Jaiden Johnson rides her bicycles and wants to become a cosmetologist. Marcella Price told Johnson and several judges that she loves to read and ride horses.
At press time Saturday, a full list of results was not available.
The 58th Fiesta Days events continues this week and culminates on Saturday morning with the annual parade and with services on Memorial Day, Sunday, May 25, in Vacaville.
Richard Bammer | Reporter