NORTH WEBSTER — The North Webster Lions Club 71st annual Mermaid Festival is rapidly approaching. The theme of festival this year is Indiana Bicentennial.

One of the highlights of the festival is the Queen of Lakes Pageant. The pageant has all the glamour, thrill and excitement of those shown on television but with local stars. The pageant is open to ladies ages 16-23.

With years of history the title of Queen of Lakes is a very special achievement that includes scholarship money. This is not your ordinary Pageant, this is a fun filled day and the pageant is a high powered production comparable to what you see with TV pageants.

Entry fees are $100 if submitted no later than Saturday, May 14. Entry fees received after May 14 will be $150. There will be no entry after Wednesday June 1. The applications and rules can be printed from the North Webster Lions Club website at http://www.mermaid-festival.com/ or face book at “Queen of the Lakes Pageant.”

The Queen of Lakes Pageant will be held on Saturday, June 25, at the North Webster Community Center located on SR 13 in North Webster. Contestants must arrive by 10 a.m.  Judges will meet with the contestants for interviews in the morning and practice for the pageant will continue until dismissal for the parade.

All contestants must participate in the Mermaid Festival parade to be held at 4 p.m. and then participate in the Queen of Lakes Pageant, which includes theme wear and formal gowns at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium of the North Webster Community Center.

Informational meetings will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday April 26, and at 10 a.m. Saturday May 14, at Ken Strong Production Studio located at 1700 Kimal Trail in Warsaw. It is very beneficial that you attend one of these meetings especially if you are a new contestant.

The Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation, Inc will provide scholarships totaling $5,000 that will be awarded to the Queen of Lakes and her Court. The Lioness Club will provide a Community Service Award and a Miss Congeniality Award.  Queen of Lakes parade prize scholarships will be awarded by the Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation, Inc. will total $1,500.