Any High School Junior girl who meets the qualifications in the rules may apply.  It is not necessary to know anyone on the Festival Committee to apply.

• In addition to the application itself you will have to provide:
  1. A Florissant resident card (live in the City of Florissant)
  2. A Sponsor
  3. A completed Candidate application from the Valley of Flowers website
  4. A professional or school 5×7 photo
  5. A copy of a valid driver’s license or birth certificate

The entry fee is $150.00, however, you need a sponsor to apply.  The sponsors pay the entry fee.  Depending on the sponsor, they may also provide monies toward other expenses such as a dress for parade day and the crowning.  The sponsors also assist with the parade day vehicle/float.  If you are unable to find a sponsor, the Festival coordinator, Kim Miller, may be able to help you.  Her phone number is 314-837-0033.

If all your supporting materials and entry fee are approved by the Festival Coordinator, you will attend a “Meet and Greet” normally on the second Sunday in March when you will be introduced to the Festival Committee and to the activities involved in the selection process of the members for the Court.  At the “Meet and Greet” the Committee will explain the selection process and how candidates are evaluated for the Court.

This is neither a popularity contest nor a beauty contest.  A panel of five (5) or six (6) professionals who do not live in Florissant judge the candidates.

Each candidate is assigned a number.  Your name, the school to which you go and your sponsor’s name are not revealed during the judging.  Before the session the Committee will give you a question.  During the judging your answer to this question as well as other questions from the judges are scored.  The judges’ sheets have the following scoring categories: Personality, Poise, Personal Presentation, Introductory Speech, and Table Interview.  No judge knows how the other judges have scored the candidates. The Committee tabulates the scores and the top scores are the girls selected for the Court.

The Festival Committee provides food/drink at events, shirts, a fleece blanket, coat and other items throughout the year.  There may be a few items to buy during the year but the costs are minimal.

The Queen and Court represent the City of Florissant to the St. Louis and North County communities.  There will be personal appearances at parades and at local community events.  There may be certain dress codes for these events.  The Festival Committee will provide a list of schedule events with the date.  There may some requests by the Committee for the Queen and Court to attend optional, unscheduled events.

The Valley of Flowers office coordinator, Kim Miller, will send emails with information throughout the year.  It is important that court members respond to these emails in a timely fashion.

The City of Florissant provides a FLERT bus which picks everyone up at City Hall and drops everyone off at City Hall.  Chaperones are always on the FLERT bus with the Court.  If you need a ride to other events, contact the office and perhaps a Festival Committee member or another member of the Court can help. At each event or parade member(s) of the Festival Committee will be the chaperon(s). All members of the Festival Committee have a background check on file with the State of Missouri.

If a request is made to the Committee in a timely manner, only family members may ride on the bus if there is room.

There is a schedule of all activities provided to the members of the Court by June 1 so the Committee expects the Court will participate.  The Committee knows that conflicts may happen and if a request not to attend is made in a timely fashion normally an exception may be granted.

Besides the recognition of being an ambassador for the City of Florissant for a year, a fleece blanket, a coat and other items provided throughout the year, at the end of the Court’s reign scholarship monies are given depending on whether you are the Queen, First Runner-up or Special Maid.  In addition, local merchants may provide merchandise.