Irrigation Festival’s Scholarship Pageant returns to in-person event
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 2, 2022
An artist, golfer, gymnast and Youtuber now make up the 127th Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty.
Nearly two years after the last in-person Scholarship Pageant, this year’s royalty — queen Isabella Williams and princesses Katherine Gould, Ellie Turner and Lauren Willis — were crowned on Feb. 26 inside Sequim High School’s Auditorium.
“I’m very excited,” Williams said after being crowned.
“It feels surreal. I’m very excited to be a part of it with these wonderful girls and to be in the parades.”
The royalty will represent Sequim at events in the region through next year’s pageant as they work towards scholarships through volunteer hours.
Royalty were last crowned in-person on March 7, 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 shutdown allowing them to only participate in two events. Rather than an in-person event, organizers held a virtual pageant in 2021 and several events were canceled. Both set of royals held processions through Sequim rather than a Grand Parade.
Festival organizers are planning a return to in-person events this year, with events slated for May 6-14.
The new royalty will see their float for the first time just prior to the Kickoff Dinner and Auction on March 19 at 7 Cedars Casino. Tickets are available via email (kickoff2022@givesmart.com) and at irrigationfestival.com.
Evening events
On Saturday, the auditorium was about two-thirds full with masks required as public events slowly come back and precautions are lifted.
The pageant’s results were based on separate judges’ interviews, impromptu questions, evening attire and a creative display.
For their displays, Willis shared a Youtube video about a day in Sequim, Gould spoke about her love of art, Turner shared how to safely use a fire extinguisher and Williams sang an homage to Sequim with Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes off of You.”
They also danced behind emcee Guy Horton as he sang “Feeling Good.”
Last year’s royalty — queen Hannah Hampton and princesses Allie Gale, Zoee Kuperus, and Sydney VanProyen — said their goodbyes in pre-recorded speeches and danced and sang in a separate musical number. They were also honored with scholarships for serving more than 1,000 hours in the community.
The 2021 royalty also crowned the Junior Royalty of Bianca Lopez and Adeline Slezak of Greywolf Elementary and Isabel Lawson of Helen Haller Elementary.
Through the evening, past Irrigation Festival royalty, visiting royalty, pioneers and grand marshals, festival organizers and more were recognized and honored.
In the next year, the newest royalty will work towards their platforms with Williams looking to start an “Adopt A Grandparent” program, Gould to organize a day of beach cleaning, Turner to start a “First Responders Appreciation Day,” and Willis to share “Down Syndrome Awareness.”
Look for biographies on the festival pioneers and the festival’s special section leading up to the festival in May.
For more on the upcoming festival with updates, changes and more, visit irrigationfestival.com and facebook.com/SequimIrrigationFestival.
