Princess Taryn Aspell (left), Miss Osoyoos Emmaleigh Diwell (right) and Princes Laura Devries (back) at Baillie House in Merritt. (Contributed photo)
In White Rock, we had the opportunity of visiting the Pacific Ocean as we enjoyed Seafest and the White Rock Pageant and parade.
We attended a barbecue to get to visit with many amazing new people. The following day, most of the visiting Royalty rode on a float with the White Rock Youth Ambassadors for the night-time parade, complete with glow sticks and music.
In a surprise turn of events, our speakers got disconnected, so we all sang together, instead. It was a great experience!
We saw how big Peachfest really was, attending Penticton’s celebration. It was amazing how many businesses and people volunteered to help.
There, too, we were part of the parade. It was really hot, so the visiting Royalty float, decorated like a beach, was a great idea! At the pageant, Queen Val Vedette, the 69th, was crowned, along with two princesses.
The B.C. Ambassador pageant, hosted in Merritt, was very unique. Over the two days, we had a group lunch on the grounds of antique Baillie House, which we toured, had a scavenger hunt in the museum, attended a dance, and, of course, saw three new B.C. Ambassadors chosen. It turned out that my partner and I were pretty competitive in the scavenger hunt, as we ended up winning.
Oliver’s celebration was a great two days. The first evening was dedicated to the four candidates’ table presentations, speeches and personal presentations. Although we are next-door neighbours, there was so much to learn about the Wine Capital of Canada.
The next morning, we did a quick “passport” tour of the town, toured a winery and took a little time in the vineyard, sampling different grapes fresh off the vine. Personally, I liked the flavour of the Pinot Noir the best! After lunch and a treat of gelato, we got ready for the evening pageant. As everyone had done very well, all four were presented the title of Ambassador.
The North Thompson pageant was a great learning experience. First, we had a scavenger hunt around the Fair Grounds (which my team won!), learning about their Fall Fair and Rodeo. This year, they are celebrating their 67th Fall Fair and Rodeo. That evening, we saw their two candidates give speeches and respond to impromptu questions.
The Ambassador and Vice-Ambassador were then announced, followed by a very fun dinner and dance. We played a life-sized version of Jenga and beanbag toss, and it turned out that I was not very good at either. In an effort to help my teammate, I knocked over the whole Jenga tower by bumping it with the top of my tiara!
All in all, I’ve had an amazing time as an Osoyoos Princess, and can’t wait to meet more people, do more in our own community, and keep on learning.
LAURA DEVRIES, PRINCESS
Special to the Times
