The lights have been turned off, the stage has been removed and the final piece of clothing has been taken from the dressing rooms.

The 2017 Miss Mississippi Pageant is over.

But while the pageant ended Saturday night with the crowing of Anne Elizabeth Buys as the 2017 Miss Mississippi, the emotions of that evening, and the memories gained will last far longer than a single night.

That evening — and the evenings before the crowning that included the preliminaries and performances — again proved just how great a host the city of Vicksburg is for the Miss Mississippi Pageant, and how great of a setting the Vicksburg Convention Center is for that and so many other events.

In August, the center will celebrate its 20th anniversary. And, just like any building that is two decades old, the building has things that need to be repaired, upgraded and changed. The VCC is no exception.

Recently, the VCC went through major roof repairs and has continued to upgrade technical systems. Changes to the elevator and escalator are being discussed, and we are certain little things here and there still must be addressed.

And while this work is ongoing and needed, it is also understood any money spent on the convention center is money well spent. Investing in the convention center is a good investment, given the economic impact events that come to the center have on the city of Vicksburg.

In its annual report filed last fall, the center reported income in addition to lodging tax revenues of more than $400,000 and a residual economic impact of more than $5.5 million.

More than 50,000 attended events at the convention center with events spanning more than 180 days throughout the year. It is a very busy place.

The Miss Mississippi Pageant is the single, largest event on the convention center’s calendar and the facility provides a tremendous environment for the pageant to continue to be the success it has become. In short, the pageant and the convention are good for one another.

Marking 20 years of service to Vicksburg is a tremendous accomplishment, and we are looking forward to celebrating with the staff of the VCC in August.

But it is our hope and expectation that 20 years is just the beginning for an amazing facility and asset for Vicksburg.