Wawasee High School senior Karissa Boesenberg, of Syracuse, opens the 78th annual Mermaid Festival Parade by singing the National Anthem.

Text and Photos
By Marissa Sweatland
InkFreeNews

NORTH WEBSTER — The parade celebrating the 78th annual North Webster Mermaid Festival cruised down Main Street under bright blue, sunny skies on Saturday, June 22.

About an hour’s worth of area marching bands, floats, emergency vehicles, Cutie Court, Queen of Lakes contestants, political hopefuls, motorcycles, Jeeps and vintage cars delighted the crowds that lined both sides of the streets.

The parade began with the presentation of the colors by the North Webster American Legion Post 253 color guard. Karissa Boesenberg, Wawasee High School senior, performed the National Anthem to set the parade mood.

Judges at the beloved parade were Diane Duncan, 2024 America’s Ultimate Queen, Miami County; Hanna Fitzpatrick, Miss Cross Roads State American Royal Beauties, Kosciusko County and Emily Parcell, 2024 Gerogia Miss Agriculture U.S.A., Danielsville, GA. Band judges were Dr. Matthew Murdock, director of bands at Sycamore School, Marion County; Corbin Keen, music education student at Cincinnati Conservatory, Nobel County and David Weisler, professional musician, Kosciusko County.

Each of the Queen of Lakes contestants offered their interpretation of the festival’s theme, “The American Dream.” Afterward, contestants traded their floats for formal gowns as they made their way to the North Webster Community Center to compete for the crown. Miss Chapman Lake Madison Nunez was ultimately crowned 2024 Mermaid Festival Queen of Lakes.

The top three pageant-hopeful parade entries won scholarships for their float creations, provided by Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation, Inc. Scholarships ranged from $250 to $750 and will be applied to the winner’s higher education. Earning first place was Miss Papakeechie Lake Jaclynn Worrell; Miss Webster Lake Zaylee Guy, second and Miss Winona Lake Daihya Chupp, third.