(Everything is set for the 2026 Holtville Carrot Festival)....The Citizen of the Year Royalty Coronation Banquet was held late last week.

The evening began with the State of the City Address delivered by Holtville Mayor Mike Pacheco. The highlights of the address include the completion of a senior apartment complex within the next couple weeks. He also announced plans to build a new city hall and a new fire department once funding is available. The Address was followed by the Royalty Coronation. 17-year-old Layla Janelle Morales was crowned 2026 Carrot Festival Queen. The Queen's Court includes 9-year-old Princess Talia Zamora and 10-year-old Princess Olivia Villasenor. The ceremony completed preparations for the upcoming 2026 Carrot Festival in Holtville. Doctor Gayle Cheatwood has been named the Grand Marshall of this year Carrot Festival Parade. The evening wound up with the naming of Christine Schaffner Lowery as the 2025 Citizen of the Year. Representatives of Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez and Congressman Docter Raul Ruiz were on hand to present Cheatwood and Lowery with certificates of recognition.