Lindsay celebrates 90th Orange Blossom Festival

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- You know it's spring when blossoms are blooming across the Central Valley, and that is exactly what the city of Lindsay is celebrating -- their 90th Orange Blossom Festival.

"Drive through Lindsay and you take a big whiff, and it is beautiful. So It is the beginning of a new crop, a new season, our economy and work," says Janie Denney, Vice President of The Lindsay Orange Blossom.

Each year a queen, a court and an honored person are selected.

This year's honored person is Ellen DiChiera Blumer. She has lived in Lindsay since the '60s, was the first female in the local Kiwanis Club, and is 93 years old.

"I feel very honored and these girls are awesome," says Ellen.

The four girls in the Queen's court, called attendees, are seniors at Lindsay High School and are involved in the community.

"It is something that I am proud of but I know that lots of girls don't get this opportunity, so it is a really humbling experience," says attendee, Dexire Adame.

Attendees learn about Lindsay's history during the week of Orange Blossom.

"I do know that they choose people they hope will be good representatives of Lindsay, so I hope to take that as a good title whenever I head out to college," says one attendee, Sandra Cisneros.

Attendee Perla Zaragosa says, "I feel really blessed because I put in a lot of hard work. To see that people have noticed my hard work, I feel very honored."

This year's Queen, Madison Caesar, is a Lindsay High graduate and former Smittcamp Family Honors College Scholarship recipient at Fresno State.

She studied Civil Engineering and hopes to set an example for young girls in the STEM field.

"We don't have enough female representation, so I would like to increase that and encourage more girls to take a leap and try something different too," says Madison.

Its history is a long one. The festival started in 1932, following the Great Depression.

This year will be the first year back to normal, since the pandemic.

"This year is extra special and everyone is getting excited about it," says attendee, Emily Gomez.

The fair opens up Thursday evening and will stay open through the weekend.

The 90th Orange Blossom Parade kicks off this upcoming Saturday at 10:00 AM.

It will conclude at Lindsay City Park where festivities, music and food vendors will be present. Festival details can be found here https://www.lindsayorangeblossom.org/