Strawberry Festival
ROYALTY
Lauren ansley van mullem
Louisiana Strawberry Queen LII
donald lanier
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival King LII
rhonda Landry-poche
2024 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Blossom
charlie ciolino
2024 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Grand Marshal
2024 STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL PAGEANT
June 15, 2024, at 7:00pm in the Ponchatoula High School Auditorium
lAUREN ANSLEY VAN MULLEM
Louisiana Strawberry Queen
Hey y’all, Louisiana Strawberry Queen LII wishing you the BERRY BIGGEST welcome to the Strawberry Capital of the World!
When I was a child, I remember going into the Packing Shed with my mother during the festival. Once inside, my dad waved me over to a display case and said "look at this picture of your mom." I knew she was a former Louisiana Strawberry Queen, my sister and I had snuck into her closet and tried on her crown many times, but I hadn't quite made the connection that she had reigned over the festival I thought was the size of Disney World. It was the first time I remember taking in the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival and thinking I could follow in mom's footsteps and become Louisiana Strawberry Queen.
While I am a second-generation queen, I am also a fourth-generation van Mullem in Ponchatoula. My Great-Grandfather, Laurentius van Mullem (also my namesake) immigrated from Belgium to Ponchatoula in the early 1900s to Wadesboro Road where my family still has property today and where he raised my grandfather. I have seen the love for the Strawberry Capital through everyone in my family, but most importantly my parents. My mother, Beth Fulda van Mullem (Louisiana Strawberry Queen XXI) taught me how important the festival is to our community and the work a queen should do to promote it. I didn’t get to watch my mother as queen, but I have grown up watching my father, Ponchatoula native Robbie van Mullem, work the Rotary booth at the festival and volunteer at functions in the community, which taught me how vital it is to support the non-profits on the festival grounds.
When I am not promoting our state fruit and the incredible celebration of it, I attend Loyola University New Orleans where I am obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Musical Theatre. You can also catch me on stage performing for various production companies and Loyno itself, Roller Skating, Designing/Making and Upcycling clothing, and Volunteering for Children's Theatres.
I have wanted to represent the Louisiana Strawberry Festival for as long as I can remember. Having grown up attending and seeing my family volunteer at the festival for so long, I have always had a love for the Strawberry Festival and I feel it is my responsibility to step up and do my part to promote the festival and industry that I love so dearly. I hope to make my family, my fellow royalty, my board, and most importantly the farmers I represent proud as Louisiana Strawberry Queen LII.
I am beyond honored, grateful, and excited to be able to celebrate my favorite fruit with all of y’all at the 2024 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival!
Sincerely yours,
Lauren Ansley van Mullem
Louisiana Strawberry Queen LII
Donald lanier
Strawberry Festival King
Welcome to the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival! I am your Ponchatoula Strawberry King, Donald Lanier. I am a lifelong resident of Ponchatoula, and I am proud to call Ponchatoula my home. My paternal grandparents were strawberry farmers on Sisters Road along with my father.
I was born in 1961 to Herbert and Gloria Lanier. My grandparents are Charles and Antoinette Triche and Donald and Alma Drude Lanier. I have four sisters, Connie, Terri, Stacie, and Christie. My spouse is Natalie Watson. I am the proud father of Martin and Grant, stepfather to Claire White (Darren) and Chip Watson, and grandfather to Amelia Rae.
I attended St. Joseph Catholic School, Ponchatoula High School, and Southeastern Louisiana University. I am employed at Gold Star Foods, Pon Food Division.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am very passionate about my service in our community. I officiated high school football for 38 years including 4 state championship games. I served as a member of the Knights of Columbus, The Ponchatoula Jaycees, and Ponchatoula High School Football Booster Club. I also coached little league baseball, basketball, and football.
I have served on the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Board for 32 years. Through these years, I have served in many capacities which include, voting representative for the Knights of Columbus, Parliamentarian, Stage Coordinator, Public Relations, and Festival Chairman for the 2000 and 2015 festival years.
Being asked to be King this year is truly humbling, and I cannot put into words how much it means to me. I am so honored to be able to promote the festival, industry, and community that is so near and dear to my heart.
Donald Lanier
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival King LII
rhonda landry-poche
Strawberry Festival Blossom
My favorite season is harvest season and being able to share my love and passion for Louisiana’s state fruit. Visitors come from near and far to enjoy the fruits of our labor and you can often find me or Farmer Darryl sharing stories and the farm with anyone that will listen.
I’m so incredibly honored and proud to not only represent Ponchatoula, but all my fellow farmers and our beloved industry as a whole. So come on down to Louisiana’s Strawberry Capital on April 12, 13 & 14, 2024 to celebrate our 52nd annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, where everyone, young and old, is guaranteed to have a “Berry Blastin’ Good Time”.
Salute and Welcome to the 52nd Annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival where friendships are sweet and our strawberries are even sweeter. My name is Rhonda Landry-Poche and I am proud and humbled to be chosen as your 2024 Strawberry Blossom. I am a 4th generation strawberry farmer hailing from a berry sweet little town called Springfield, where my husband, Darryl, and I own and operate Landry-Poche Farm. Our motto has been and always will be “Quality over Quantity”.
Growing up on our family farm, I absolutely loved hearing about all the history and heritage from my grandfather, Freddie Bazile (Maudie). It all started in the early 1900s when my great-grandfather, Santos Bazile (Melina) traveled to the US as a Merchant Marine from Sicily and started a tradition that has been passed on for generations to generation. In 1926, Paw Paw B, as we called him, took over the farm after Santos passed away and married soon after. Of their six children, my mother Janice quickly became her daddy’s right hand on the farm. Janice and Pudgie Landry were married in 1964 and had three children.
I was the first born in 1965. I literally grew up on the farm picking, packing and selling strawberries. Days were long and work was hard, but I can honestly say that is what made me the person I am today. I graduated from Springfield High School in May 1983 and married my high school sweetheart, Darryl Poche in June 1983. We have two sons, Joshua Francious and Jonathan (Suzanna) who have blessed us with two grandchildren, Daisy Lou and Cypress Elliott. I can honestly say these two are the “Sweetest Berries in this NeNe’s Patch”.
In 1999, my father became ill. I jumped in to do what my family does and that is when I fell in love again. My parents and I became partners in the early 2000s and Landry-Poche Strawberry Farms was born. I often laugh as I tell our customers, “I’m a Landry by birth, but a Poche by choice”.
Rhonda Landry-Poche
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Blossom
Charlie Ciolino
Strawberry Festival Grand Marshal
My roots run deep to the Strawberry Festival, the Farmers and the Community and I can’t wait to share it all with you! I was born and raised right across the creek in Hammond on my family's farm with my parents, Charlie & Trudy Ciolino, and my brother, Michael Ciolino. I attended Holy Ghost and was in the very first graduating class at St. Thomas Catholic School in Hammond.
My grandpa, Mike Ciolino, grew strawberries and then we raised peppers, watermelons and cucumbers along with cattle through my high school years until my family opened a tractor dealership in 1990. In the late 2000s, I took over and became the owner-operator of Star Equipment, a full line Kubota Dealer.
My better half of 18 years, Arieanne Thornhill, and I spend our free time in the cab of tractors bush hogging and bailing hay. We also enjoy Tractor Pulling on the weekends. I have assembled quite the collection of tractors, Farmall, International and Case IH is my passion. I buy all types, but I take special interest in tractors that my dad previously sold new. My collection is my pride and joy, but Arie may describe it a little bit differently.
I am very involved with the festivals, parades and other events throughout Tangipahoa Parish always making sure Santa makes his way through Hammond, Ponchatoula and Loranger Christmas parades without any glitches. I supply many other organizations with stages and logistics needed to make their events a success. Every year, I ensure the Strawberry Festival Royalty makes their way down the streets of Ponchatoula during the parade. This year, my role will look a little different and I am very excited to see the parade from a little bit of a different view.
With all that being said and some left out, I am honored to follow in my grandpa, Leonard Kraft, (1995) and my dad’s Charlie Ciolino (2015) footsteps and lead the 2024 Strawberry Festival Parade through Ponchatoula as the Grand Marshal.
Come on out and see me at the Parade and stay for a weekend full of fun!
Charlie Ciolino
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Grand Marshal
Louisiana
STRAWBERRY QUEEN
Interested in becoming the next Louisiana Strawberry Queen? Before you apply, please review the Louisiana Strawberry Queen Contract below. You’ll need the following items to apply:
1) Headshot/Portrait (5x7)
2) Application Fee ($125 CASH OR MONEY ORDER)
3) valid DRIVER’S LICENSE
4) Completed Application
To apply, please email your application and headshot to strawberryfest@bellsouth.net.
All contestants must attend the mandatory meeting June 1, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at Memorial Park Strawberry Building, located at 313 North 6th St. Ponchatoula, LA 70454. Please bring your photo, application fee, ID, and completed application to the mandatory meeting.
If you have any questions, please send us a message or email us directly.
CHILDREN’S PAGEANT
The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival does not host a children’s pageant - this pageant is hosted by the Louisiana Strawberry Preserve Society using our name. While we are not technically the host, the winners of this pageant will still be able to ride in our parade along with our royalty and will be introduced on stage during the Festival.
For more information on the Children’s Pageant, contact the Louisiana Strawberry Preserve Society at lastrawberrypreservesociety@gmail.com.
Past
ROYALTY
The Strawberry Festival Pageant has been a part of our history since the very first festival in 1972! Throughout the years, we’ve had some pretty special individuals representing both our community and the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.