Three contestants will vie for the title of queen of the 55th Annual Chrysanthemum Festival, to be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center.

The event celebrating Japanese culture is hosted by Maui AJA Veterans Inc., with county co-sponsorship. The festival raises money for the veterans group's civic projects, including the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and college scholarships.

This year's contestants are Jaime Kane, a sophomore at Kamehameha Schools Maui; Kelsey Naruse, a sophomore at Seabury Hall; and Abcde Shibao, a senior at Lahainaluna High School. The one who collects the most donations and sells the most tickets will be named queen.

All three will perform ballroom dances with their escorts as part of the evening's festivities, which include displays and demonstrations of kendo, calligraphy, flower arranging, singing, Okinawan dancing and furoshiki, a traditional Japanese cloth used for wrapping, storing and carrying items.

For more information or to make a donation, call 878-3831.