Ava Truesdell was crowned the 2026 Tulip Festival Queen on Monday, Nov. 24. Ava will reign over the 85th annual Tulip Festival, set for May 14, 15, and 16, 2026.
A senior at MOC-FV in Orange City. Ava is the daughter of Elizabeth Heeg and Tom Truesdell. Ava is joined on the 2026 Tulip Court by court members Autumn Anderson, daughter of Pam and Kent Anderson; Mady Stanislav, daughter of Ashley and Kendall Stanislav; Keaton Van Kekerix, daughter of Jasey and Leroy Van Kekerix; and Kallie Zwart, daughter of Shawn and Brad Zwart.
On Monday, November 24, a Queen’s Tea with the court members and three pageant judges was held. That evening, a special crowning ceremony took place, during which the Tulip Court participated in introductions, question segments, and presentations to select the 2026 Tulip Festival Queen. A live stream of the crowning event was made available on the Tulip Festival website.
Ava and her court will serve as ambassadors for the Orange City Tulip Festival as they travel in the spring, making several media and public appearances.
