INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — For her outstanding achievements and community involvement, Hailey Ready, of Greenwood, is the 2026 500 Festival Queen Scholar.
Ready was crowned on Saturday during the 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard, presented by CHA.
As Queen Scholar, Ready will represent the rest of her princess class and play a significant role in the 110th Indianapolis 500 celebrations.
"I'm so excited! I love the Indy 500, and the Festival, and I'm so excited that I get to represent both of those things," Ready told News 8.
Ready is a senior at Marian University pursuing degrees in Biology and English. She is involved in the Marian Knight Drama Club, has held multiple leadership roles at The Fioretti, Marian's literary journal, and volunteers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and the Indianapolis Zoo.
"I was really shocked and really excited," Ready said of her selection. "There were so many girls that could have gotten it; all of us do so much outreach and so much stuff for our community. I was really happy that I was selected, but I know there were so many of us that would've done such a good job."
As the 500 Festival Queen Scholar, Ready will receive a $1,500 educational scholarship. She will wear the 500 Festival Queen Scholar's crown at 500 Festival events and the Indianapolis 500, and take part in the Indianapolis 500 pre-race and Victory Circle celebrations. She will continue to represent the 500 Festival at various functions throughout the year.
Ready is one of 33 Indiana college-aged women selected for the 2026 500 Festival Princess Program, in which they serve as ambassadors for the 500 Festival, IMS, their hometowns, and their colleges and universities. The Princesses serve as special ambassadors, educating Hoosiers about the history of the 500 Festival through the statewide outreach program, celebrating the spirit of the Indianapolis 500, and serving their communities.
"One of my big outreaches was to write welcome letters to race fans coming to Indiana, and I'm going to give the letters to the Embassy Suites downtown later this week. I have over 200 letters from different schools, different coffee shops, and just different places around Indianapolis," Ready said.
Each 500 Festival Princess received a $1,500 scholarship, made possible by the late Marlyne Sexton, an Indianapolis philanthropist and president of The Sexton Companies, and a custom pendant, courtesy of Khamis Fine Jewelers.
To learn more about the 500 Festival Princess program, visit the 500 Festival website.
