PELLA — Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Tulip Time Royal Court. Nomination ballots must be submitted by 4:30pm on Tuesday, September 26.
- be a high school senior girl
- be 17 years old by May 1, 2024
- be unmarried
- have a permanent home mailing address in the Pella Community School district
- live with a parent or legal guardian
The Pella Tulip Time Royal Court is the ambassador for Pella’s Tulip Festival. The Court consists of the Tulip Queen and her four attendants. The Queen also chooses two pages and two flower girls to join the Court during the festival in May.
How are the Queen and Court chosen?
Senior girls from the community are nominated by Pella residents, followed by a town-wide vote to select the top twelve finalists. The candidates prepare for a night of interviewing and presentations before 30 judges. Each candidate first interviews with the judges in small groups. Next is the public performance, where each finalist gives a presentation of a talent or interest that depicts her personality. She will also be interviewed by the evening’s Master of Ceremonies. After the tallying of ballots from both the interviews and the public performances, the Tulip Queen and Court are announced.
What do the Queen and Court do?
Working with a committee affectionately known as the “Court Moms,” the Queen and Court prepare a program and hone their interviewing skills throughout the winter. In the spring, they make approximately thirty appearances to promote Pella’s Tulip Festival. This includes the Capitol, local media stations, civic organizations, and more. The pinnacle of their reign is hosting thousands of tourists at the May festival. Additionally, after hosting the Orange City Royal Court in Pella, the Pella Court then travels to Orange City, Iowa, two weeks later to enjoy our sister town’s festival.
