WADDINGTON -- A Waddington mother hopes to bring beauty pageants back to the North Country.

Lyndsay Allen, winner of Ms. New York World of Beauty, said she used to participate in pageants when she was younger and hopes to offer that opportunity to young girls in the North Country.

"It will be a lot of fun," she said.

Allen said she will be directing a pageant through Gillespie Pageants Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Madrid-Waddington Central School. The winner will be named Miss Northern New York Teen-Ager, and will go on to compete in Lake George in September.

The pageant will be open to girls age 13-19.

"This will be the first time we have had a pageant in this area for teen-agers in three years," she said.

Competitors will be interviewed by judges and will have to give a one-minute speech. The top five will have to answer another question from the judges.

Allen said the event also features a bathing suit and evening gown competition.

Contestants will learn a dance routine that will be performed at the pageant, but will not be judged.

Allen said former pageant director Ed Ackerman died and no one has moved in to pick up where he had left off, until now.

"I am the first one that has offered to bring them back to our area," Allen said.

Lyndsay Allen and her daughter Abryanna Irene Browning are both pageant winners. The pair recently won the title of Most Beautiful Mother-Daughter the Lake George pageant.

Registration for the pageant is $60. To register call Allen at 388-4102.