This year’s Holyoke Colleen Court at the 69th Holyoke Colleen Pageant in January.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
With about a month to go until St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Holyoke, Chicopee and Holyoke will both be hosting events where they will name a colleen and court to represent their city.
The 72nd Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade will be hosted on Sunday, March 23, and the 48th Holyoke St. Patrick’s Road Race will take place on Saturday, March 22.
Holyoke
The St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke is hosting its 69th annual Grand Colleen Coronation Ball and Awards Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 15.
The participants vying for the honor of grand colleen crown are Erin Marie Gauthier, Abigail Katherine Huebner, Moira Catherine Reardon, Erin Frances O’Donnell and Maura Catherine Joseph, who won Miss Congeniality.
The past grand colleen is Elizabeth Katherine Gourde, and her court members are Natalie Belle Morris, Hunter Rose Edwards, Taryn Shaylene Ryan, and Amelia Frances George.
The award honorees are Citizenship Award Winner, Reverand Father Robert A. Gentile, Jr., Thomas F. Rohan Award Winner, Devin M. Sheehan, George E. O’Connell Award Winner, Jeff Walsh and the Daniel J. Gallivan Award Winner, James Meenaghan.
On Jan. 4, the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Committee hosted the 69th Holyoke Colleen Pageant and honored and welcomed this year’s Holyoke Colleen Court to its general membership meeting on Jan. 5.
At its annual Grand Colleen Pageant, nine young women from South Hadley and Holyoke competed to become the Holyoke grand colleen finalists.
The five colleen finalists enter the evening on an even slate; their previous scores from the pageant last month are wiped clean, and a new set of judges will score each contestant, leading to the awarding of the “grand colleen” title.
For more information, readers can visit holyokestpatricksparade.com.
Chicopee
Applications for the 2025 Chicopee Colleen Contest closed on at the beginning of February and the committee said all contestants are expected to attend all events on time and dress appropriately and everyone who is competing must know if they are selected to be on the court, it is a year-round committee and you will be expected to attend multiple events throughout the year.
Before naming a colleen at the Coronation Ball, the events the participants are required to go to are the Irish Tea, both rehearsal dates and the Coronation Ball.
An Irish tea or “Get Acquainted Social” was hosted on Feb. 9 at the Chicopee Portuguese American for all contestants.
Eleven contestants will be in attendance vying for the title of 2025 Chicopee colleen and meet each other in a relaxed, informal setting at the Irish Tea.
At press time, those contestants include Emma Caproni, Kaitlyn Gilhooly, Wilmette Cumba, Daiana Torres, Natalie Dulong, Meghan Oxley, Hannah O’Neil, Shannon Caloon, Jadalyn Flores, Ainsley Trueman and Megan Kelly.
Members of the Chicopee Parade Committee will brief the girls on the competition process and upcoming events, including the Coronation Ball.
Reigning 2024 colleens will also be in attendance. Honors Program Director and Professor of History at Elms College Laura McNeil was also a guest speaker at the event.
Contestant interviews and the first rehearsal will be hosted at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16, at Chicopee Portuguese American Club.
A parents’ information session will take place following the contestant interviews and first rehearsal at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16.
A second rehearsal will take place on Monday, Feb. 17, also at Chicopee Portuguese American Club.
Finally, the Colleen Coronation Ball will be hosted on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Chicopee Portuguese American Club where a colleen and her court will be announced.
Tickets and information can be found at chicopeespc.com.
