Osceola King & Queen - Moran Presentation April of 2026
On behalf of the Osceola Music Festival (OCMF), Randy
Leliaert and Tom Krueger kicked off the 2026 OCMF Essay
Competition to Moran Elementary School 4th graders.
The presentation is part of the student’s curriculum for the
annual essay project, “What Osceola Means To Me”.
Long time Osceola business owners, Mr. Leliaert and Mr.
Krueger, talked about Osceola history, business as well as the
Music Festival that originated in 1984.
Students are encouraged to enter their essays for the honor
of serving as Osceola’s 2026 King or Queen. Every student
who enters will be honored at the ceremony, Saturday, August 8th at
10 am and receive coupons for food, arts and crafts at the
3-day event August 7, 8 and 9th.
The King and Queen will be crowned at a ceremony under the tent,
where they will also receive new
bikes and other prizes. They will reign over Osceola for a full
year, until the crowning at the 2027 ceremony. Everyone is invited.
Parents are encouraged to support their children in this competition and
agree to provide transportation to and from the ceremony, as well as, the Osceola Christmas Tree Lighting, The Memorial Day Parade, and
a Town Council ceremony,
“What Osceola Means To Me” is a decades long tradition
of PHM Moran School, the Town of Osceola and the OCMF.
Thank you for continuing this project and for making our
partnership stronger each year.
Osceola King and Queen Program 2025
Presented bt the Osceola Business Association
"What Osceola Means To Me"
These are the original essays written by Mia Harbison and Gunnar Whitmer.
The Music Festival would like to thank the 3 retired teachers from School City
of Mishawaka who have been judging these essays for several years. The students'
names are deleted so there is no bias in the judging, and
you can see the highlighted portions that were read at the crowning ceremony.
Thanks to all of the students who entered essays, and the many family members
and others who came to the Festival program to support them. Also the educators
from Moran Elementary, particularly Jennifer Ginter who emceed the program,
Principal Lisa Russell, Assistant Principal Amanda Fox, and Mrs. Ginter's co-teachers
Loren Cernak and Tori Temple.
