LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Do you dream of being a princess? The Kentucky Derby Festival wants to make your dreams come true. They are accepting applications for the 2020 Royal Court. The online process opened Monday and the deadline to apply is October 13, 2019.
The Festival's Royal Court is open to women who are atleast sophomores in college and offers the opportunity to earn scholarship monies. The court serves as official ambassadors for the city and the Kentucky Derby Festival. KDF stresses this is not a beauty pageant. Each member of the court receives two $1,000 scholarships - one from the Fillies, Inc., and one from the Kenucky Derby Festival Foundation. The women also receive sponsor gifts as well as a complimentary wardrobe.
Here are the application requirements:
- Single, female residents of Kentucky or the metropolitan area, including Clark, Floyd and Harrision counties of Indiana
- Full-time college students (in at least second year) minimum GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale
- Must be poised, outstanding in the community and 18 years old on or before December 31, 2019
The program represents the Kentucky Derby Festival and is overseen by members of The Fillies, Inc., a non-profit organization made up of 250 community volunteers. The Fillies also prodce the gala Fillies Derby Ball, during which the Derby Festival queen is selected and the Court established. The Court will be selected in January and the Queen named April 4, 2020 by a "spin-of-the-wheel."