Queen Emily Invites You to the Texas Rose Festival

TYLER – The 84th Texas Rose Festival is officially under way. It started Thursday morning with a ribbon cutting and prayer service at the Rose Garden Center. Reigning over the festivities is Queen Emily Kaye Evans. She says she was surprised when asked to be queen. Her parents surprised her with the invitation when they came to where she was going to school at Belmont University in Nashville. She said she was so surprised, she didn’t have words, and she gasped and started crying. At first she said she wasn’t sure she would be able to do it. But after praying about it, she accepted the invitation. And she said she is very happy that she took on this role.

Emily has her own family history in the festival. Among other things, her mom and both of her mother’s sisters were ladies-in-waiting. She has also had three cousins who have been in it the past few years. Queen Emily says she’s excited about being an ambassador for Tyler, meeting new people, and getting closer to the ladies-in waiting and also helping promote the rose industry.

Activities include talks about roses, two coronation ceremonies on Friday, the Rose Festival Parade Saturday morning and the Queen’s Tea in the Tyler Municipal Rose garden Saturday afternoon. You can go to http://www.texasrosefestival.com to find a list of the many activities.