Emily Jane McLaughlin of Clear Lake High School was crowned the queen of the 2024 North Iowa Band Festival on Friday evening.
She was up against five other candidates from different schools in northern Iowa who were all active in their school’s band and other extracurricular activities.
Emily has been a part of concert band, jazz band and choir at CLHS, alongside national honor society, FFA, cross-country, theater, cheerleading, speech, student council and Lion’s outreach.
She was crowned by last year’s queen, Catherine Dows, and given her roses by the Mason City and Newman Catholic royalty, who were not eligible by tradition.
“I haven’t lived in Clear Lake my whole life, but I would come every summer to visit my grandparents,” Emily said. “And Bandfest has always been really cool for me because my mom was previous royalty in 1995. So, this is kind of surreal, it’s really fun.”
Crowned king just before her was Titan Pearson of Rockford High School.
The two of them then went on to begin their royal duties and help with the instrument petting zoo.
