Queen’s Court Will Reign Again At SMF

By Daniel Crawford, The Sandy Standard

The Queen’s Court will return to the Sandy Mountain Festival (July 11,12) for the first time since 2019. After a seven-year absence, SMF President Lisa Snider and her motivated staff worked aggressively to bring back the long standing tradition.  

Snider, who is in her third year as President, also announced a third school scholarship that will be awarded to a Sandy High School senior. The scholarship will be for trade school candidates, accompanying the other two scholarships for an arts and a non-arts degree. Seniors interested in applying for a scholarship should contact Rhana Mather at the school office.

Carnival rides are also returning to the lot next to the Ant Farm. 

“Our wonderful Carnival coordinator Kelly French worked so hard to bring the carnival back, and it was not easy. It is hard to imagine the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. A big thank you to Barlow Trail Veterinary Clinic for allowing the use of their parking lot to accommodate the carnival rigs for the duration of the festival,” said Snider.

The festival has become one of Clackamas County’s largest summer events, raising an estimated $1 million for local non-profit organizations. It also provides financial contributions to arts organizations.

The SMF crown jewel has always been the queen and court. Celebrating five generations of women and young ladies has been important to local Sandy residents.  Due to social protocols of the COVID-era, the event was put in jeopardy. 

This was followed by severe SMF staff shortages. Sadly, events had to be cut and that sealed the fate of the queen/court, at least temporarily.

Returning the festival back to its glory days has been the goal of the SMF board. The Queen’s Court was a special event for the ladies vying for selection over the years of its existence. There are still staff shortages, but nothing will derail the mission Snider is spearheading, with the help of a crew that feels like family to her.

“Everybody on the board and all of our volunteers are like a family to me. They all have full-time jobs and families, but they show up and work hard. We have an amazing team of board members and volunteers,” said Snider.

Snider has dedicated much of her free time to the festival.  She recalls that it all began in 1983, when riding her horse in the parade. She rode every year until 1995, when she took on a bigger volunteer role. In 2014 she applied for and received a board position as Hospitality Coordinator, giving her valuable experience and a means of preparation for her current role as President.  

Lisa Martinez is the current Queen’s Court Coordinator, and she is excited to be involved in reviving the queen/court event.  “We had some serious staff shortages in the past seven years. There were a lot of board members that retired and their positions were not filled. But now we are strong again, and so happy to be back,” said Martinez.

A car show is slated for July 11 in the Assembly Of God parking lot. Last year saw a turnout of 140 cars and Snider expects there could be more this year. The grassy field adjacent to the parking will be utilized if needed. Registration for the car show can be made on the website at www.sandymountainfestival.org 

“It was a top priority to bring back the queen and princess court and the carnival.  Both of those events are part of the history of the Mountain Festival,” said Snider

Snider will not be riding her horse in the parade, but she seems to be riding high in the saddle as she leads her team to make SMF history with a successful comeback for the record books.