A Picture-Perfect May Day: The Beloved Tradition Continues

One hundred fourteen years ago, our very first May Queen was crowned at a Maypole dance held in the school gymnasium of Mary Institute. From that point forward, annual fetes on behalf of the school were held at various locations around St. Louis, including at the Washington University Chancellor’s Garden and Forest Park’s Municipal (Muny) Opera Stage. In 2000, the children and grandchildren of alumna Lilly Busch Hermann ’41 arranged for the renovation of the May Field on the MICDS campus, and it was rechristened “Lilly’s Field” in her memory. Ever since then, senior girls—joined by fourth, eighth, and 11th-grade girls—have celebrated spring in this dedicated, beautiful location. Younger sisters of seniors serve as Ribbon Presenters, and a May Queen is still crowned at the conclusion of the ceremony, continuing this longstanding and beautiful tradition.

This year’s May Day on Saturday, May 2, was picture-perfect, with a gorgeous spring day as the backdrop for the brightly colored pink, orange, and yellow ribbons of the mapole on Lilly’s Field. Armed with baskets and buckets of flowers, attendees arrived for the very special occasion. Promptly at 5:00 p.m., the 2026 May Day began, expertly directed by alumna Emily Freeman Huber ’89, Director of May Day.

The ceremony began to the tune of The Gift to Be Simple from Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, as fourth and eighth-grade dancers, along with Ribbon Presenters, entered. Following, the juniors performed their traditional Daisy Chain dance to Georges Bizet’s Carillon from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1. Next, the seniors made their grand entrance to Fest March from Tannhauser by Richard Wagner, where they were presented with a sprig of ivy by the juniors. The ivy signifies the graduate’s living link with Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School.

After each senior had the opportunity to pose during their respective entrance, the fourth graders skipped onto the field for their dance to the buoyant rhythm of Mock Morris by Percy Grainger. Eighth graders followed with a ribbon dance to Snow Maiden, Ver. B Act: III Dance of the Tumblers by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; they even made their own small-scale maypoles by weaving together their ribbons during their routine. Next, the seniors conducted their promenade to Simple Gifts by Alison Kraus and Yo-Yo Ma. Finally, they commenced the official weaving of the main maypole to the music of Fantasia on Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughn Williams. View the complete May Day program here!

At the conclusion of the event, the senior participants crowned Georgia Lochhead ’26 as the 2026 May Queen. Ellemieke Ferguson ’27 and Kathleen Hammer ’27 served as the coronation pages, and Student Council Co-Head Riley Crawford ’26 crowned Lochhead under the completed web of the maypole ribbons. A glowing smile and a few poses later, the rest of the 2026 senior girls rushed in to hug Georgia, surrounding her with boundless love and laughter.

May Day would not be possible without Ms. Huber, Associate Director of Events Sydney Brockman, and our behind-the-scenes Grounds Crew members for preparing such a lovely event. Thank you for ensuring that the event ran smoothly! Congratulations again to the newest May Queen, all of the senior girls, and to all of our May Day participants. What a lovely day!

Enjoy the May Day photo albums below!