Latest news with #500FestivalPrincess
Indianapolis Star
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
'It turned heads at first:' She's a 500 Festival princess. She's also an Eagle Scout
INDIANAPOLIS -- Nat Restivo says she was "very much a tomboy growing up" with an older brother and an older sister and plenty of hand-me-down clothes to choose from. "But of all the clothes that I got passed down to me, I always opted for basketball shorts and a T-shirt," said Restivo, "instead of her Aeropostale jeans." By the time she was 10, Restivo was tagging along with her brother's Boy Scout troop. She went hiking and camping, roughing it up with the boys. Then one day as an unofficial Boy Scout, Restivo was at a troop service day setting up seating for the 500 Festival Parade downtown. That's when a princess waved at her. "I didn't really know what it was. I saw 33 women wearing tiaras and I thought, 'Oh, that's so cool,'" said Restivo. "One of them waved at me. (I thought) they must be famous." But that 10-year-old Restivo didn't turn into a princess right then. Instead, she went on to become a founding member of one of the first female troops in Scouting America, formally the Boy Scouts of America. And she went on to become a female Eagle Scout. Restivo knows how to tie seven distinct knots, the square knot, two half-hitches, taut-line hitch, sheet bend, bowline, clove hitch and timber hitch. She has 21 merit badges earned in categories such as emergency preparedness and medicine. She worked hundreds of community service hours. And she renovated an entire playground for her final act of service. Then last year, that 500 Festival Princess idea reappeared when Restivo was a sophomore at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. Restivo applied and landed a spot in the ring with 32 other princesses. "It turned heads at first," said Restivo, 20, who is a nursing major with minors in medical humanities and social work. "I don't look like a traditional Scout. People are surprised that I am an Eagle Scout and then I'm also a 500 Festival princess." Restivo grew up in Plainfield in a family that focused on service. Restivo's mom, Melanie, was always heavily involved in the community. And her grandparents were involved with the local church and Meals on Wheels. "So my mom, whenever there was a service opportunity, she packed all three kids up," said Restivo. "And we were at it." Scouting was a big part of the family's life. Restivo's brother, Dominic, gave his little sister the scouting bug and let her tag along. "I was just young enough to be able to go to all the trips but not old enough to be able to stay back on my own," Restivo said. "So I'd go to all the campouts with them. I remember I was so young that I was like learning almost everything on these camp outs. I learned how to tie my shoes on a camp out." She soon earned the troop nickname of their Boy Scout buddy. And it was Restivo's brother who first alerted the family that the rules had changed. Girls were officially allowed to join all Boy Scouts of America programs in 2019. "And my mom said, 'Are you interested in this?'" Restivo said. "I was kind of hesitant at first. I was in middle school, and I was kind of shy. I didn't know if I wanted to join. I didn't know if my friends would follow me in joining. But I've been so grateful that my mom kind of pushed me and she was like, 'This is going to benefit you. Let's try it out.'" On Feb. 1, 2019, the first day a female troop could be chartered, Melanie was at the office at 8 a.m. And the Plainfield Troop 308G was born, made up of five girls, including Restivo. It was one of the first female troops created in Indiana. Restivo went on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout in 2022, joined the Order of the Arrow, served as a camp counselor at Ransburg Scout Reservation and earned Firecrafter. "Being a scout, I'm not sure honestly, where I would be without it, because it did teach me so much leadership," said Restivo. "It taught me resilience and also taught me all these morals and values that I still carry with me." It also gave Restivo the confidence to apply to be a 500 Festival princess. After seeing a college friend serving as a princess, Restivo started researching the program. "That's when I learned it's more about community service and education than it is a pageant," she said. "And that was eye opening to me." Her friend encouraged her to apply. "And it was majorly outside my comfort zone. I'm one that I like to do things in the background. I'm kind of in the background of leadership," she said. "But I'm so glad I was able to step outside my comfort zone because I never would have met these 32 other amazing women and then everybody I've met through my outreach." Some of those people, including the princesses, were surprised to find out Restivo is an Eagle Scout. "It turned heads at first. And I think it's nice to turn heads sometimes," she said. "It's bringing awareness to this program and to scouting." And it's nostalgic for Restivo, thinking back on how her journey began as an "unofficial boy scout" with that princess waving at her all those years ago. "She made me feel seen in a sea of thousands," Restivo said. "That moment stuck with me. Now, I get to be that person for someone else."
Axios
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Meet the Maker: 2025 Welcome Race Fans artists
Meet the five Indiana artists who are revving up their creative talents to welcome race fans to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May. The inspo: The annual Welcome Race Fans collaboration between the Indy Arts Council and Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been connecting visual artists to the Indy 500 since 2016. This year's artists were selected from a pool of 58 applicants and tasked with creating original pieces to be displayed throughout the city starting next month. Each year, selected artists are asked to bring to life what "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" means to Indy. The 2025 artists: Sarah Anderson is a full-time ceramic artist who creates illustrative characters on the surface of clay through the use of sgraffito. Xavier Gray is a multidisciplinary artist who blends street art, graphic design and personal storytelling. Caroline Hays is an artist and educator who focuses on the layers of history that shape a place through her use of mixed media and layering. Cassie Mitchell, a junior at Marian University and former 500 Festival Princess, is a graphic design major who wants to inspire the next generation by promoting the impact art has on communities. Frances Ruiz, inspired by her upbringing in Puerto Rico and experiences in Indiana, uses vibrant colors and dynamic lines to make collage paintings that evoke movement and convey a sense of emotion. What they're saying:"The Welcome Race Fans art is one of the first things thousands of visitors see when they come to the city of Indianapolis and IMS for the Month of May," said IMS president Doug Boles. "This Hoosier hospitality is just one of the many reasons the Month of May is so special to so many."
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Two Indiana State students selected as 2025 500 Festival Princesses
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — We are less than 70 days away from the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. Every year, a group of 33 college-aged women play an integral part when it comes promoting the 500 Festival leading up to race day. This year, two Indiana State University students were selected to serve as 2025 500 Festival Princesses. Suzy Head is a junior studying Intelligence Analysis Counterintelligence in hopes of one day working in foreign policy for the CIA. Piper Watkins dual majors in Public Relations and Digital Communications, with hopes of working in PR or social media. Wakins served at Miss Indiana State University 2024, before crowning Suzy Head as Miss Indiana State University 2025. 'I wanted to go into schools and make an impact on kids the way I had an impact made on me,' said Suzy Head. 'The Indy 500 was the first field trip I ever took in elementary school. So when I heard about this program, I want to be involved.' The 33 princesses are chosen from hundreds of applicants across the state. Although, the 500 Festival Princess Program is not a pageant. Those selected are based on academics, community involvement, communication skills, and leadership. 500 Festival Princesses are key promoters for the organization, their colleges, and for the state of Indiana. 'You really get to teach the community about the different programs that the 500 Festival promotes,' said Piper Watkins. 'They have so many different things that the community really loves to hear about, and they love to get involved in. We go out, and we help teach those about the events, and try to get them involved.' Head and Watkins will both serve as ambassadors to the community excited for the month of May. In doing so, 500 Festival Princesses will conduct over 1,500 hours of community service, by attending events at local schools, organizations, and not-for-profits educating about the 500 Festival. '500 Festival Princess carries out the duties of the 500 festivals. It's to get people engaged to have them learn about what we offer. The programs and everything leading to the race. We're supposed to create this nurturing environment, this fun environment,' said Suzy Head. Being a 500 Festival Princess is more than a crown and a sash: it's an opportunity to grow. 'I really think that the biggest thing I am going to gain is just learning overall, and individual growth. For me having not known much about the program until I wanted to apply, it's been really cool seeing it all in action and seeing what they do for the community and seeing how we can give back,' said Watkins. This year's 500 Festival Princesses class represents 17 colleges and 20 cities across the state with a cumulative GPA of 3.70. From now until race day, the 33 princesses will be busy balancing 'I wanted to give back to my community and help them feel that sense of family. A sense of togetherness and that Hoosier spirit. That's why I became a 500 Festival Princess,' said Watkins. The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set to take place on May 25th, 2025, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
