The scholarship pageant for the the 130th Irrigation Festival saw Sequim High School student and frequent Olympic Theatre Arts actor Lily Tjemsland crowned as this year’s queen. Sponsored by OTA, her platform focus will be the Welfare for Animals Guild, due to her deep love of animals.
Three of the four other contestants were selected as princesses and prince: Roxy Woods, Joanna Morales and Malachi Byrne.
The stage set was simple and effective, following this year’s steampunk theme – a giant clock set to the significant time of 1:30.
The contestants performed a song and dance together at the opening before the judges entered. Judging was 35% based on an earlier interview with the judges, but contestants were also judged on their “creative display” at the pageant, two impromptu questions and evening attire.
Tjemsland performed a monologueas a diabolical Dorothy Gale, Glenna Cary delivered a speech about her family, Byrne played “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Unger on the violin, Woods danced ballet and Morales baile folklórico. Morales was also awarded the congeniality title by her fellow contestants.
Per tradition, Guy Horton hosted. Lynn Horton and Robin Bookter co-directed the pageant. A number of local luminaries were introduced and stood up in the crowd, including honored pioneers Betty Ellis Kettel, Janet Ellis Duncan, Tim Wheeler and Hazel Messenger Lowe and the Gazette’s former editor, Michael Dashiell, who serves as grand marshal this year.
No irrigation pageant is complete without appearances from the outgoing royalty. Outgoing queen Ariya Goettling and princesses Sophia Treece, Kailah Blake and Ashlynn Northaven performed a comedic song and dance and crowned the junior and senior royalty.
Junior princesses Savannah Fuller, Madelyn Davis, Briella Gleason and Stella Good read their essays on Sequim.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The 130th Irrigation Festival’s queen, Lily Tjemsland, received her crown on Saturday after participating in the scholarship pageant which included a monologue performance, a dance routine with her fellow contestants, and answering questions, both on stage and off.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Glenna Cary cheers Lily Tjemsland who comes forward upon hearing she will be 2025’s queen at the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s scholarship pageant.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Sequim 129th Irrigation Festival princess Kailah Blake crowns Stella Good a junior royalty princess during the 130th Festival’s pageant.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Outgoing Irrigation Festival queen Ariya Goettling crowns junior royalty princess Briella Gleason at the scholarship pageant on Saturday Feb. 22.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Madelyn Davis and Savannah Fuller exchange glances as they wait to read essays about their experience of Sequim and then be crowned junior princesses during the Irrigation Festival Royalty Pageant on Feb. 22.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Master of Cermony Guy Horton waits for royalty candidate Lily Tjemsland to answer a randomly chosen question which asked her to reveal her most embarassing moment to a crowd at the Sequim High School auditorium during the Irrigation Festival scholarship pageant.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Scholarship pageant contestant Joanna Morales performs a foklorico dance before the steampunk set featuring a clock set to 1:30 to symbolize the 13 decades of Sequim’s Irrigation festival.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Sequim Irrigation Festival’s scholarship pageant contestant Malachi Byrne plays Jay Unger’s “Ashokan Farewell” onstage before a full audience at the high school auditorium.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Sequim Irrigation Festival scholarship pageant contestant Roxy Woods performs “Cupid’s Variation” from the “Don Quixote” ballet onstage with the steampunk set, a clock pointing at 1:30 for the 130th year of the festival behind her.
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Master of Ceromonies Guy Horton reads a random question of royalty candidate Lily Tjemsland while candidate Joanna Morales listens with pageant decorum.
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