(SANDY) — The crown rests nicely on the head of Sandy’s newly appointed queen.
That’s not surprising for a woman who hails from a service-oriented family and has dedicated herself to volunteering.
Shannon Montgomery was crowned during the return of the Queen’s Court at the 2026 Sandy Mountain Festival. That meant in addition to her normal helping — which has persisted despite her official “retirement” from the organizing group — she had plenty of royal duties.
That included riding in the annual parade for just the second time.
“I’m not really a person who puts myself out into the public like this,” Montgomery said with a laugh.
It is impossible to separate Montgomery from the Sandy Mountain Festival. It has been her passion for decades — first as a kid volunteering to help her mom, later as one of the key board members who made it such a special outing, and now as a cookie vendor selling her decorative delights.
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“In a lot of ways this festival is my heritage,” she said. “It is four days out of the year, and it brings our city to life.”
Montgomery’s dedication to an event that brings families together for four days of fun is why she was selected as one of The Outlook’s 2026 Community Heroes.
“I was surprised to be nominated for this recognition,” Montgomery said. “I have to say it feels good. I do this for my community — to see the smiling faces, money for nonprofits, and to give artists a place to sell and show their work.”
Montgomery is the daughter of festival co-founder Lynn Ellis. The family moved to Oregon from California when she was four years old.
The festival began as an arm of the Chamber of Commerce. The goal was to draw more people to town. As one of the founders, her mom, who ran a craft store, thought art would be the perfect draw.
That first festival had 50 artists and food booths. Volunteers had to clear out a space in Meinig Park, which was completely overgrown with shrubs and blackberry brambles.
“It just carried on from there and continued to grow,” Montgomery said.
At the age of 12, she began volunteering at the festival. When her mother passed away, Montgomery was 20 years old, and she took on greater responsibilities.
“My mom was only here for a few festivals, but she established an amazing foundation with the other members,” she said.
She has been the chair, the artist coordinator, the park manager, and many other roles to ensure the Sandy Mountain Festival remains a premier event. All told, she was heavily involved for more than 50 years.
“What I love about the festival is it’s a ‘community gathering place,’” Montgomery said. “If you went to high school here, you will run into people at the park.”
“It is like a big family reunion,” she added.
She is very involved with Sandy Kiwanis, co-chairing the annual Christmas Basket Program with her husband, Martin. This past holiday, they distributed 275 boxes. She loves volunteering for the group because, as a kid, her family received support and toys from Kiwanis.
“This is my way of giving back,” she said.
Montgomery was the web coordinator for 20 years at Mt. Hood Community College, where she still teaches as an adjunct professor. How she ended up an “IT nerd” remains a mystery. Beforehand, she was a hairdresser in Sandy for nine years. But her degree in accounting and management made the World Wide Web feel less like a mystery.
“My role was running the computer lab, and I had a background in doing budgets, hiring and training, so it just made sense,” Montgomery said.
That business sense and analytic mind always helped at the Mountain Fest.
“We always want variety, and take the best of the best when it comes to artists,” she said.
The festival can be time-consuming for organizers. It truly is a year-long commitment, with just a short break immediately following the weekend. So, in 2022, Montgomery decided to take a step back. She wanted to travel more with her husband, Martin and have the freedom to see loved ones.
She retired from the board and became an advisor.
“I have become almost more of a historian,” she said. “I go to meeting and make sure we keep track of the original vision of what the festival is supposed to be. Things have to change all the time, but we want to keep that same passion.”
Now she gets to do new things at the festival, like riding at the head of the parade with a glittering crown on her head. Montgomery has also sold cookies at a booth in the park for the last few years.
She has only missed the festival three times in her life. Two were in high school while she was doing a foreign exchange program in Japan. The other occurred two years ago during a road trip with Martin.
“It was so hard for me not to be here,” she said with a laugh. “That confirmed I will never miss it again.”
Shannon Montgomery
Community: Sandy
Why she is a Community Hero: Shannon’s decades of continuing the legacy and impact of the Sandy Mountain Festival.