Local woman chosen as 500 Festival princess

A Bartholomew County woman has been chosen as one of this year’s 500 Festival Princesses. The festival is announcing that Melissa Aceves, a senior at IUPUI has been chosen for the program.

Aceves is a Columbus native and graduate of Columbus North High School. She is studying community health at IUPUI.

According to the festival organizers, hundreds of women applied and the princesses were chosen based on leadership, academic stewardship, community involvement, and their embodiment of the Hoosier spirit.

The 500 Festival Princesses will participate in the 500 Festival Leadership Development Program and each 500 Festival Princess will receive a $1,000 scholarship, made possible by Marlyne Sexton, an Indianapolis philanthropist and president of The Sexton Companies, and the 500 Festival Foundation.

500 Festival Princesses take part in the 500 Festival’s statewide outreach program, educating Hoosiers about the history of the 500 Festival and legacy of the Indianapolis 500. The princesses take part in more than 1,500 outreach events, reaching more than 50,000 people.

The 2022 Marlyne Sexton 500 Festival Queen Scholar will be announced on Saturday, May 21st. The 500 Festival Queen Scholar will receive an additional $1,500 scholarship.

Photos courtesy of 500 Festival.