Vinton County pageant sign-ups set for Fourth of July events

Families hoping to place a contestant in this year’s Fourth of July lineup have two chances to sign up for the 2026 Miss Vinton County Pageant, and both deadlines come quickly. Registration will be held Saturday, June 6, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Vinton County Courthouse, and again Wednesday, June 17, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Vinton County High School.

Big Miss candidates must be entering grades 9 through 12 at Vinton County High School. Little Miss candidates must be entering first grade at a Vinton County elementary school or be in their first year of being retained in kindergarten. Big Miss applications are due Wednesday, June 24, while Little Miss applications are due Monday, June 22.

The pageant keeps a tight calendar for contestants and families. Little Miss participants must attend a meeting Monday, June 22, at 6 p.m. at Vinton County High School, and Big Miss participants must attend a meeting Wednesday, June 24, at 6 p.m. at the same school. Physical copies of applications will be available at sign-ups, and completed forms can also be mailed to Miss Vinton County, P.O. Box 293, McArthur, OH 45651.

The pageant remains one of the most visible youth traditions in Vinton County’s Fourth of July Celebration, which has long centered on downtown McArthur. The 2025 pageant was the 69th annual competition, making this year’s event the 70th Miss Vinton County Pageant. Promotional materials for the 2026 celebration say the county event will recognize 250 years of the United States, 70 years of Miss Vinton County and 60 years of high school consolidation.

The holiday celebration also carries a deeper civic purpose. Long before the Athletic Boosters took over, the event was hosted by the Downtown Coaches League, and the tradition dates back more than 50 years. The boosters’ Fourth of July schedule has historically included Little Miss and Little Mister Firecracker contests, a baby contest, the parade, fireworks and the Miss Vinton County pageant, with proceeds going to Vinton County High School athletics and helping buy varsity uniforms. Last year’s winner, Klair Graves, was crowned at Vinton County High School as the pageant again filled a role that goes beyond ribbons and crowns: it helps finance the school programs that depend on it.