The following is a brief excerpt from the book Palisades Amusement Park: A Century of Fond Memories by Vince Gargiulo...

One of the most popular pageants, Little Miss America, debuted in 1961. Girls between the ages of five and ten were judged on the basis of beauty, charm, poise, and personality. These productions attracted thousands of stage mothers from every corner of the country to drag their little beauties to Palisades. Six thousand girls came each week to compete; add to this the mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who came to watch, and it's not surprising that long lines of patrons would wind around the Park. Not everyone appreciated the contest, however; the Atlantic City­based Miss America Pageant sued Palisades—unsuccessfully—for using the name Little Miss America.

Thanks to Bill from San Luis Obispo, California for asking about the 
Little Miss America pageant and inspiring me to put this page together.