Mermaids, pirates and wenches invade Indian Beach

The 3rd annual Mermaid Festival was held at Indian Beach on Saturday. The event kicked off with the ever popular Cardboard Boat Challenge followed by contests and a Pirate Ship Battle on the lake featuring members of the Canyon Lake Yacht Club.

The event featured a Mermaid Grotto, Mermaid Lounge, opportunity drawings, silent auction, Mermaid Marketplace featuring vendors and local merchants, food, and a kids zone featuring games and jumpers.

The contest winners are as follows:

• Cardboard Boat Challenge (youth): Connor Matilla
• Cardboard Boat Challenge (adult): Denise Goering
• Cardboard Boat Challenge Best Dress Vessel: Noah Parks
• Cardboard Boat Challenge Judge’s Choice: Nicole Allen and Wren Gully
• Little Pirate Costume: Taylor Jewett
• Little Mermaid Costume: Dylan Stewart
• Best Mermaid Costume (adult): Margarita Rodriquez
• Knobbly Knees Contest: Andrew Torkelson

The Mermaid Festival is sponsored by the Woman’s Club and organized by the Mermaid Festival Committee: Lyne Hall, chair; Suzi Delia, license coordinator; Donna Ritchie, publicity, grand prize drawing and photography; Sue Collins, vendors; Jill Torkelson, grand prize drawing; Shawna Bowen, sponsorships and kids zone; Carmen Cortez, food; Carol Newsom, Mermaid Lounge; Tammy Revard, Cardboard Boat Challenge; Jan May, Pirate Ship Battle; Terri Ireland, Mermaid Grotto and decorations; Kathy Ray, traffic control.

The Woman’s Club would like to extend a thank you to DJ Aprile DeAnne for sponsorship and emcee services, Prestige Golf Cars for providing a golf cart for shuttle service, Family Matters Club for sponsoring the kids zone, Air Force 1 for the water donation, the many volunteers who help to make this event possible for the community, and the sponsors:  Jan May of Coldwell Banker, Nancy and Ted Horton, Art Femister family, Christine Tortorici of RE/MAX, Awthentik Design, and Royal Bash Event Design.

Interested in joining the Woman’s Club? The Woman’s Club was founded in 1972 and is one of the oldest, largest and most active clubs in Canyon Lake. Last year the club donated more than $30,000 to local charities and to Canyon Lake students in the form of scholarships. The club meets in the Holiday Bay Room at the lodge on the third Wednesday of every month from September through June. Vendor hour is from 9 to 10 a.m.; meeting begins at 10 a.m. Lunch is $14. Annual membership is $25. For membership information, contact Kathy Ray at 858-449-7297. For general information, visit the club’s website at  canyonlakewomansclub.com.

Photo by Donna Ritchie

Photo by Donna Ritchie

Photo by Donna Ritchie

Photo by Donna Ritchie

Photo by Donna Ritchie