Community & Business
27 April, 2024
Festival Queen entrants sought
IT won’t be held until August, but Maize Festival organisers are calling on young women to act now and nominate for the Queen title.
The festival began in 1962, when the Atherton Branch of the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade held the first-ever Maize Festival to raise much-needed funds in the Tablelands community and celebrate the annual maize harvest.
This year’s Maize Festival, which is run by an independent voluntary committee, will kick off with a High Tea on 4 August, followed by the Gala Ball on 14 August and culminating in the Street Parade and popular tug-o-war in Atherton on 31 August.
But organisers need young women aged between 16-25 years of age to nominate for the Queen competition by 5 May.
The Maize Queen will be announced at the street parade, along with the Maize Festival Charity Queen for the entrant who raises the most funds, and an Encouragement Award for the entrant who judges believe was the most improved and showed growth throughout the program.
The entrants are expected to take a big role in the program, with workshops, talks and events to develop their skills and confidence.
Judges will be assessing them on their engagement levels with the community and personal growth over the course of the program.
Each entrant has to have a community sponsor which can be a business, community organisation, sporting organisation or school.
Entrants are required to conduct their own fundraising in collaboration with their sponsor or community groups as well as participate in group fundraising during the Maize Festival.
Entrants fundraise specifically for their chosen community organisation which must be a not-for-profit raising funds for facilities or services in the local region.
