TRAVERSE CITY — The Royal Fashion Show returned to the National Cherry Festival schedule this year, after taking time off during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event took pace on Wednesday at City Opera House.
Frankfort native Mitzie Hewitt said she is one of 12 women who volunteered to organize this event. At the end of the 2023 Cherry Festival, they were notified that the event would be resuming the following year. Hewitt served as director for the fashion show, and she was on the queen's committee.
"I'm super, super busy," Hewitt said. "Many hands put on this event."
She said attendees of all ages could meet the National Cherry Queen candidates for 2024-25, see Cherry Queen Carmen Beemer on stage and bid in a silent auction. Proceeds from ticket sales went to the queen's scholarship program.
"We're looking to restore the past historic nature of the fashion show," Hewitt said. "We had the opportunity to create the environment we wanted for the program. There are not a lot of events like this during the festival."
Hewitt said the cherry queen and the queen candidates modeled clothing from stores in downtown Traverse City, the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and Elk Rapids. They were involved in "choosing outfits that represent them," she said.
Hewitt's first experience with the Cherry Festival was in 1991-2, when she was cherry queen. After that, she attended medical school and completed her residency. She said she started her family practice in 1999 and has taken festival week off every year since.
"The connections I've made are still strong," she said. "It gets into your blood . . . you want to give back in some way."
This summer, she was able to volunteer alongside her two daughters, who were also on the fashion show team.
[Originally published online and in print July 6, 2024]
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