Sweet Tea Queens |
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Our very first night parade shines brightly! Blacksburg Christmas parade Crowds excited and friendly, but not so for the electricity and Mr. Tea forgets his camera 
Above: Janet waves to the hometown
folks with Nicole gleefully helping out. |
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The "Emerald City"
sparkles in green SEE THE SNAPFISH GALLERY HERE |
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Santa comes to Sans
Simoleans
(BSTQ's house) on December 6th |
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Queens try to please the weather gods Spartanburg Christmas parade Sixty degrees, driving rain and blustery winds make for a parading adventure  The Queenly procession turns north onto Church Street on the not-quite-finished new float. Our last minute canopy idea prevented a total washout as rainwater cascaded down the street. The Hussy Bus followed behind in case the situation got out of control, but the gods winked at us and a truly death defying float ride to The Beacon afterwards finished the event off right. This was our first rainy parade and hopefully the last. SEE MORE PHOTOS IN THE SNAPFISH GALLERY  |
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Smile y'all! Official portrait session The official portrait session of 2003 featured our "usual" mall invasion, where we visit our favorite stores, eat lunch and, oh yes, pose for photos with adoring fans.... All the while waiting for our photos to be ready to pick up at the Picture People in the mall. Now you ask, "Why wouldn't y'all just go to a regular photographer?" Well, if we did THAT, we couldn't have
a mall invasion, now could we? |
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First looks! The STQ float project After three seasons of borrowing trailers and making temporary floats, we finally own our own float. Built from a mobile home substructure, our float will be 8 feet by 16 feet and feature wrap-around railing, three tiers and built-in lighting, power and sound. Christened the STQ Hunny-Ley after the Confederate submarine Hunley, recovered from Charleston Harbor, it looks like something that the Navy scuttled. But when it's finished, for the start of the 2004 parade season, the STQs will ride with pride an an increasing number of parades. In part two of the rescue of the STQ Hunny-ley, KimmyNan's dad, along with Hambone and Mr. Tea toiled all day to weld abutments and extensions on "Old Ironsides". Later, we went out scavenging behind out-of-business Wal-Marts and what-not looking for more metal and what-have-you. We did come across some letters from the front of the old store-- "C", "D", and "O". So, BSTQ had herself a big "O", while Kimmy and Nicole shared a "CD". Now, who got the better deal? For part three, we constructed a wooden structure on top of the steel framing, painted it and covered it rather quickly as a big storm tracked up for m the Gulf of Mexico. The paint dried just enough to make it useable and the STQ Hunny-ley debuted in a bare-bones fashion at the Spartanburg Christmas Parade. She will be endowed with a much more queenly facade in the near future and built-in electrical and audio systems are to follow. Plans are for her to be finished in the Spring. 
   Mr. Culbreth shows his welding
expertise above left, as Hambone and The Spare look on, above right. |
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Joseph & the Technicolor Boxers delight the ladies Gatlinburg queens convention October weekend provided almost 50 queens from every corner a chance to cut loose, and loose they did cut! Several chapters of the Sweet Potato Queens and a number of renegade independents converged on poor li' 'ol Gatlinburg for the weekend soiree. Probably the most wild middle aged women in one place outside of Myrtle Beach during Bike Week.  
 Photos first to last: The STQs pose at the Fudgery on the Parkway. Those folks just love Queens! Go buy you a mess of fudge there today. A newlywed couple cruising down the Parkway spots the Queens. MJQ Ashlee's betrothed one prepares to dazzle the Queens shakin' his moneymaker in a comedy routine. |
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Beads and Books make the Day Spartanburg International Festival 2003 The Queens hold Story-Time at Converse College's Children's Tent Mid October couldn't have provided better weather as the Queens read stories and handed out Mardi Gras beads to scores of children at the Spartanburg International Festival. Converse College's Children's' Tent was the perfect place for royal reading, with Teana Kimmy Nan, our education major, and the rest of the Queens captivating the attention of kids of all ages. Kimmy's professor, Dr. "Teana Anita" Davis, was inducted as an honorary STQ and given a certificate and a tiara. All during the day, we could spot her wearing it and waving to us. 
 Photos first to last: Tean Kimmy Nan reads to the kids. The STQs pose with their newest honorary member, "Teana Anita".
MORE PHOTOS HERE |
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Queens Dance the Night Away Music on Main With Spartanburg's Rock and Roll Reunion pumping out the rock and roll hits for three straight hours, the Sweet Tea Queens played go-go-go-go dancers to a packed streetfest downtown on September 25th. With the celebration starting in late afternoon until the stars were out, those Groovy Las Vegas Showgirls wowed the crowd.
Swooning to the strains of "Yesterday", the queens do a laid back fan dance. MORE PHOTOS HERE |
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WLNK-FM's midday host gets Queenly Coronation
Charlotte,
NC's WLNK 107.9 FM late morning host Pam Stone and the STQs enjoyed a
Queenly convergence at a local watering hole recently. Pam discovered her
true Queenliness as the STQs showered her with gifts including her own
tiara, queenly sunglasses, a copy of the Sweet Potato Queen Book of Love
and countless other goodies. It was
amazing that we hadn't met before, 'cuz as it turns out, we all love all
the same places! The queens were a hit at the restaurant, as usual, and
with 'ritas on the house and a very receptive crowd, they'll be back for
sure! If you live within listening range of WLNK 107.9 FM, be sure to tune
in to Pam's show. You'll never hear anyone on the radio with more
Queenliness. See the station's website
here
or check out Pam's site
here!
See Pam's Article in the Spartanburg Herald Journal! |
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Juicy and delicious! Hendersonville, NC Apple Festival Working the crowds into a frenzy, the STQs packed our "alternative" float and moved to the groove down Main Street of Hendersonville, NC on Labor Day for the afternoon King Apple Parade. With parade virgins Teana Marie and Teana Janet on board, the float held ten dancing queens while Hambone drove, Mr. Tea announced and Batman kept the wild cabana boys at bay. Afterwards, a steak dinner at Binion's Roadhouse was the opportunity for the queens to try competitive peanut tossing from table to table. See BSTQ's Letter to the Editor of the Hendersonville Times-News here 
  Above left: BSTQ does a full-tilt shimmy to the delight of the crowds as Teana Donna and Queen Bea make room. Teana Lisa spots a friend, Teana Marie is awestruck and Christel the Unsweet Tea Queen waves in queenly style. Above right: Teana Nicole waves to the adoring fans, Teana KimmyNan blows a kiss and Teana Janet along with Princess Betsy revel in the glory of the parade. Below: Kimmy enjoys the air conditioning and steak a little too much. MORE PHOTOS IN SNAPFISH GALLERY BELOW |
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