CHERRYVALE — The Cherry Blossom Festival will have a new feature beginning in 2011: the coronation of the Cherry Blossom Festival Queen.

On Monday, members of the Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the festival, heard details about the queen contest, which is designed to enhance the festival activities while also promoting ideal citizenship among teenage girls.

Nancy Castilleja, who will serve as the queen contest coordinator, said the competition will be open to any girl, age 15-19 (as of Jan. 1, 2011) and enrolled in a secondary school. Requirements in the contest will include participation in volunteer or community service within the Cherryvale area prior to the coronation event.

The competition will be restricted to 30 participants, each of whom will have to pay a $100 non-refundable entry fee, which may be obtained by soliciting a sponsor or sponsors. The sponsors may be from any business or individual.

The competition will include a private interview with a panel of out-of-area judges plus a review of the community service project of their choice.

A panel of out-of-area judges will interview candidates and determine the queen and first runner-up. Tentative plans also call for a “Miss Photogenic” to be named in the competition.

Castilleja said the date and location of the coronation has yet to be determined but early plans call for the coronation to be held perhaps one week prior to the 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, May 7. The queen will reign over festival activities and serve as a community ambassador until the 2012 queen coronation.

Registration deadline is March 1, 2001; entry fee is due April 1.

More details about the Cherry Blossom Festival queen competition will be printed in upcoming issues of the Montgomery County Chronicle.

For more information, contact Castilleja at cherryblossomroyalty@yahoo.com or call (620) 891-0072.