Thank you for sponsoring a young woman for the National Cherry Queen Competition. Each year, young ladies from all over Michigan compete for the chance to earn college scholarships and for the opportunity to be a national spokesperson for the cherry Industry and the National Cherry Festival. This year, we proudly award $12,500 in scholarships.
Our Queen Selection competition takes place in two phases: "Selection Weekend" in May, and the "Final Queen Competition" during National Cherry Festival week.
Selection Weekend, May 16 - 17, 2025: All initial candidates participate in 3 judged interviews, 1 cherry industry speech presentation and 1 on-stage question. A panel of judges will assess each candidate during these interviews and speech. The four candidates with the highest points at the end of Selection Weekend will receive a $1,250 scholarship award to the school of her choice, a Festival wardrobe, and will advance to the final round of competition during National Cherry Festival Week with all-expenses paid while in Traverse City. It is our goal to create a memorable and rewarding experience for all by also incorporating educational and motivational seminars throughout Selection Weekend.
Final Queen Competition, June 28 – July 5, 2025: A new panel of secret judges will assess the qualities of each of the four Queen finalists as they serve as court members to the current Queen at various events. On Wednesday of Festival week, each Queen finalist will have an interview with some of the secret judges. On Thursday, they will have an interview with the remaining secret judges. A final interview will take place with all judges on Friday of Festival week. The competition concludes at the Queen’s Ball where the new National Cherry Queen and 1st Runner-Up will be announced. The 1st Runner-Up will receive a total scholarship award of $1,750 and the new National Cherry Queen will receive a total scholarship award of $8,250!
Your generous contribution will help a young lady receive an amazing experience, and your name will appear in the TC Record Eagle in early June announcing the National Cherry Queen candidates for 2024. We will also list your business or organization’s name on the National Cherry Festival website and hyperlink to your website with your sponsored young lady. The Festival's interactive website receives over 31 million hits during a measured period from January 1 to July 31. This represents over 440,000 visitor sessions.
Although becoming National Cherry Queen is ultimately the goal, it is our sincere hope that each participant will experience significant personal growth, wonderful memories and experiences, and lifelong friendships. Thank you for being a part of this experience.