PDX Carpet Named Grand Marshal of Rose Festival Starlight Parade

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Is keeping Portland Weird a concern of yours?  Now you can rest easy.  Our iconic airport carpet is being replaced after 30 years of service.  But before we completely replace the popular ped way, the Rose Festival Foundation has cut a rug, so to speak.  PeeDee, the outgoing carpet remnant, flanked by TSA Airport Security agents, will be the Grand Marshal of the Starlight Parade this year.

My sister Gabrielle (2010 Rose Festival Lincoln Court Finalist) posed with me at the Waterfront Rose Festival offices while she was home on spring break from University of California, Santa Barbara.

Rose Court meets up with PeeDee on his appearance circuit May 7, 2015

Gabrielle and Tabitha Ivan meet PeeDee

Your 2015 Rose Festival Court

The 15 members of the 2015 Rose Festival Court have all been chosen!

Tabitha Ivan (top, third from left) joins her sister Princesses on the 2015 Rose Festival Court

Your 2015 Rose Festival Court (photos)

Susan Gage | The Oregonian/OregonLive By Susan Gage | The Oregonian/OregonLive 
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on March 21, 2015 at 5:00 AM, updated March 21, 2015 at 5:02 AM

The 2015 Rose Festival Court is now set, with 14 princesses selected from Portland and Metro-area high schools. The princesses were announced throughout the past three weeks. The court is made up of juniors and seniors who show an impressive range of activities and hobbies, from school leadership positions, varsity athletics, cheerleading, ethnic dance groups and more.

The Starlight Parade was among the favorite Rose Festival events cited by the court members, with the Grand Floral Parade and the court itself being favorites.

At least one member of the court shares the experience with a previous family member, carrying on a Rose Festival tradition.

The court, presented Unitus Community Credit Union, will be busy throughout the coming weeks, traveling around the state as Rose Festival ambassadors. The Queen of Rosaria will be selected from among the princesses on June 6 at Memorial Coliseum before the Grand Floral Parade.

Photo Session

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I'm so excited to meet 3 other members of the court already!  They are very sweet and incredibly accomplished young women!  I'm lucky to be one of them.

Tabitha Ivan at Official Rose Festival Photo Shoot Saturday, March 7, 2015 Rose Court Schedule
ARRIVE	DEPART	LOCATION	EVENT
9:00am	1:00pm	Headquarters	Start the Day Meeting
		Prints Charming Photography	Official Portland Rose Festival Photo Session
		Stanfords	Lunch with Rose Festival Volunteers and the first four Princesses

Devon Thompson, Amber Shackelford, Paris Sykes and Tabitha Ivan

Lunch at Stanfords

War of the Words Radio Interview Day

Fleet Week 2014 Friday, March 6, 2015 Rose Court Schedule
ARRIVE	DEPART	LOCATION	EVENT
6:28am	7:15am	K103 Radio	Interview with Bruce Murdock
8:30am	9:00am	KBPS Benson High School	Click here to listen to Benson Radio Interview

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Tabitha Ivan greets the Fleet 2014

By the time I finished my third radio interview in less than 24 hours, I realized one thing; people are fascinated by my interest in Fleet Week.  What's so unusual about that?  I live on the water and I appreciate the men and women who serve in our armed forces!

Also, I love the Starlight Run, which begins at my downtown high school, and the crazy contestants who dress up and jog/parade along the Starlight Parade Route.  I have often wandered through the costumed sprinters and talked to them about their themes.  A lot of groups also run other marathons and love getting a chance to slow down and put on a show.

City Fair is also a favorite.  I have been known to get up on stage and dance with the band, as well as ride the Puke-o-matic until I lose my funnel cake.


Tabitha Ivan dances on stage with Hit Machine at City Fair 2014

2015 Rose Festival Court: Lincoln High names Tabitha Ivan its princess

Tabitha Ivan is named the third princess to the 2015 Rose Festival Court, representing Lincoln High School in Portland, March 5, 2015

Click here to see the Oregon Live Announcement

What a great opportunity this is going to be for Cecelia, Marie or Christina, I thought as I waited for the announcement of Lincoln High School's 2015 Rose Festival princess.  I have run for office constantly and have never won an election at my school.  The highest office I've had my peers approval for is Homecoming Court every year.  So I was expecting the opposite when my name was called.  I didn't even have an acceptance speech.

So now I am the third princess named to the 2015 Rose Festival Court I will receive a $3,500 scholarship from The Randall Group, a female business executive mentor from Unitus and the chance to be crowned Queen of Rosaria on June 6 at Memorial Coliseum.

After the announcement, all I could say was, "Is this a joke?  Am I being punk'd right now?"
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The first thing that happened after I hugged the girls and stumbled through my thank-you, was a TV camera swooping in from KATU Channel 2 and reporters from the Oregonian asking me questions I was not prepared to answer.  Questions like, "What's your favorite food?"  Vegans might want to look away for a minute.  All I could remember liking to eat was meat.  Nothing more specific than that.  Just meat.

After a ton of pictures, questions, and meeting my mentor, I left the gym.  That got real, I thought as I walked out with my mom and my friends.   Next, we went to the office to meet with Rose Court committee members Leslie Goodlow-Baldwin and Ashley Sider.  I was given a March schedule and immediately put on the radio with KEX.  Afterwards I met with LHS administrators and my counselor to work out a grad plan.  I will be traveling for 5 weeks and need to finish my classes by May 3rd.

Next up, Court Orientations, the other school's Court announcement assemblies, and lots of homework!  Did that just happen?