Parade Information
2013 — The Sweet Potato Queens® Zippity Doo Dah® Parade Weekend
Thursday, March 21 through Sunday, March 24
QUEENCENTRIC DEE-TAILS
This is a BUNCH of information—a LOT to read—but there’s a LOT HAPPENING—so do us all a favor and READ IT ALL!
If you haven’t already heard: We’ve got the Budweiser Clydesdales A-GAIN, the Sonic Boom of the South A-GAIN, the Patty Peck Honda Doo Dah Day Blue Car Giveaway A-GAIN, and MORE! (Click on the links for details.)
CHALLENGE FROM BOSS QUEEN RHONDA & THE VILLAGE SWEETIES IN THE VILLAGES, FLORIDA: In honor of our Grand Marshal, Aunt Faye—and her 100th Birthday!—The Village Sweeties are donating $100 to Batson Children’s Hospital and they want to CHALLENGE/INVITE ALL OTHER QUEEN GROUPS TO DO THE SAME.
What a wonderful gesture! I hope you all ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE! This is a great way to honor our very own AUNT FAYE! (We’ll be happy to accept your checks payable to Batson Children’s Hospital in the Queen Store at the Hilton.)
Ho-TEL
The HILTON-Jackson (1001 East County Line Rd., Jackson, MS 39211) is offering a SPECIAL ROYAL RATE for ZDD™ WEEKEND in honor of my 31st Anniversary as THE Sweet Potato Queen™. (FYI: 31 years = Suck-Up Gifts Involving TIME PIECES. This is troubling to me somehow but make of it what you will.)
The Queenly Room Rate is only $129!
(That includes up to 4 free breakfasts per room!!!)
(If you’ve already booked at a higher rate—don’t worry they’ll take care of it.)
AND—to make it even MO’ BETTA, HILTON GUESTS GET A BIG-A## DISCOUNT ON THE SUNDAY BATHROBE BRUNCH, TOO! Only $20!
HERE IS WHAT TO DO TO GET THE HILTON QUEEN DEAL:
Call this #: 601-957-2800. SPEAK ONLY TO BILLIE BURNS!!! If you want a ROOM & BATHROBE BRUNCH—tell him that—the code for that package is “BRUNCH.” **NOTE: you MUST tell him how many folks in your room want Brunch Tickets or y’all will ONLY GET ONE! Also, the $20 Brunch Ticket is ONLY AVAILABLE BY ADVANCE PURCHASE**
If you ONLY WANT A ROOM and cannot stay to brunch with us on Sunday—boohoo!—CALL THE SAME #: 601-957-2800—tell BILLIE BURNS that you want a ROOM ONLY—the code is “QUEEN.”
If you are NOT A HILTON GUEST—boohoo!—and want to attend the Bathrobe Brunch, it will be $29, if purchased in advance.
Click here to ORDER BATHROBE BRUNCH TICKETS FOR Non-HILTON GUESTS.
Discounted Brunch Tickets available ONLY IN ADVANCE or ONLY FOR HILTON ROOM GUESTS. Brunch tickets purchased in Jackson will be $39; so, ORDER EARLY!
2013 SPQ™ ZDD™ WEEKEND PASSES ARE $74
Click here to ORDER YOUR ZDD™ WEEKEND PASSES.
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!!
Weekend Passes & Brunch Tickets ARE NOT MAILED!!!
YOU PICK THEM UP AT THE HILTON!
BIG HAT BRUNCH @ SAL & MOOKIE’S is only $21 in advance, $26 at the door—don’t we LOOOVE Jeff Good and Dan Blumenthal?
Oh, speaking of His Cuteness Jeff, he remarked recently that (sadly) nobody hardly ever gives him a little pat or pinch on the hiney. So please be SURE TO DO SO!
NEW THIS YEAR:
(1) CAKE DECORATING/TASTING CONTEST with local bakeries competing. We will view and vote on the SNAZZIEST &/OR BEST-TASTING CAKES, along with LOCAL CELEBRITY JUDGES.
(2) HAT CONTEST! There will be HAT JUDGES on the premises—and that means PRIZES!
TO MAKE YOUR BIG HAT RESERVATION:
Call 601-368-1919 or e-mail: maggieb@salandmookies.com
IF YOU WANT TO RENT A GOLF CART FOR A MINI-FLOAT IN THE PARADE, CLICK HERE FOR INFO.
2013 Zippity Doo Dah® Weekend
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
***ATTENTION: READ EVERY SINGLE WORD OF THE BELOW BEFORE YOU E-MAIL HRH JILL WITH A QUESTION! IF IT’S NOT COVERED IN HERE, FINE, ASK AWAY BUT CAN YOU TELL THAT SHE WILL BE SLIGHTLY TESTY IF YOU ASK HER SOMETHING SHE HAS ALREADY GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO ANSWER HERE? ALSO, THIS IS A BASIC, PRELIMINARY RUN-DOWN—KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR UPDATES AND ADDITIONS. NOW, READ ON…***
THIRSTY THURSDAY, MARCH 21
COMCAST® COME-ON-IN PARTY—FITZGERALD’S at the HILTON —our very favorite “MISSICIANS”—singer/songwriters from all over the State—rock us from the get-go! Noon til Cain’t Do It No Mo’—free and open to all!
FRIDAY FRIVOLITY, MARCH 22
11:00 a.m. — Big Hat Brunch at Sal & Mookie’s. (Not included in Weekend Pass—call 601-368-1919 or email maggieb@salandmookies.com for reservations)
Big-A** Cake Competition! At Sal & Mookie’s during Big Hat Brunch. Local Bakers will create Wondrous Cakes for us to view—and also to EAT! Really Cute Celebrity Judges plus cast your Queenly Votes for Excellence in Decorating and Taste!
Big-A** Hat Competition — Your HATS will be JUDGED at Sal & Mookie’s this year—I KNOW how y’all LOOOVE a contest (and a PRIZE)—so go on, OUT-DO YOURSELVES!
~12:45 p.m. — Big Hats on Parade — informal sashay from Sal & Mookie’s into the center of Fondren. We want EVERYBODY to SEE our Fabulous Big Hats, yes?
YOU WILL RECEIVE A MAP of the FONDREN BUSINESS DISTRICT.
Boutiques, Antique Shops, Gift and Garden Shops, Shoe Stores, Art Galleries, Bakeries, Coffee Shops—there’s even a SALSA STUDIO (the kind you dance, not eat!) What could you possibly want to see, eat, do or buy that ISN’T in Fondren? And ALL ARE LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES!
There will be MUSIC AND SIDEWALK SPECIALS at the shops and restaurants. The Buses will make a circle through the area as we arrive so you can SEE all the SPOTS YOU WANT TO VISIT AFTER THE BIG HAT BRUNCH and on Saturday before Parade time.
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. — The Everyday Gourmet’s Annual Wannabe™ Welcome Party. (Included in Weekend Pass)
BUSES will run between Hilton-Jackson and Sal & Mookie’s and The Everyday Gourmet from 10:45 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. (Weekend Pass Required to Ride Buses.)
3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. — Chillin’, Gossipin’, Tellin’ Lies — in Fitzgerald’s at the Hilton—snacks and music provided by the Hilton.
8:00 p.m. - Midnight. — Pearls & PJs and Pelo Grande (translation: oversized hair-dos) in the BALLROOM at the Hilton.
(Included in Weekend Pass. NO at the door ticket sales!)
Hair-Dos will be judged and there will be a prize! Put on your jammies, your faincy joory and your most spectacular coiffure and dance yourself sillier—with Kacey Jones, Raphael Semmes, Jewel Bass, These Days & special Guests! Kacey at 8, Daincin’ at 9!
~9:00 p.m. — During Pearls & PJs a special drawing for 1 of the 6 keys for a chance to win the Patty Peck Honda Doo Dah Day Blue Car Giveaway!
Raffle Tickets will be available at the Hilton that night.
Only for this key, you MUST be present in the Ballroom to win!
~9:15 p.m. — Krazy Karaoke —Right after the Key Drawing. For the gifted amongst us, at the same time, but in a different room, of course.
(Included in Weekend Pass. NO at the door ticket sales!)
SPEC-TAC-U-LAR SATURDAY, March 23
Morning —
Color Me Rad®
through the streets of Fondren!
Whether you are a “runner” or not (I, myownself, am SOOO NOT so do feel free to amble alongside me!)—this will be HUGE FUN! Check out the video at www.colormerad.com! Then, while you’re on that site, click on “Jackson, MS” to sign up! Be sure to put “FONDREN” in the PROMO CODE box, and 20% of your registration will automatically go to Friends of Children’s Hospital! YAY! During the “race” for the wee ones not “running,” Walker’s Drive-In, located on the race route, will have a special Character Breakfast with mascots, characters, etc.; so, the kids can watch the “runners” and have some fun theirownselves.
After you finish the Color Me Rad® Race, do NOT leave, head right back to the starting area at the STADIUM for
The Patty Peck Honda Doo Dah Day Blue Car Giveaway!
Click the above link to buy advance raffle tickets. Weekly drawings on our favorite CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO STATIONS for KEYS—so, the more you buy and the earlier you buy, the more chances you have to WIN a new Honda Civic!
Tickets are only $25 each and 100% goes directly to Friends of Children’s Hospital! Thank you Patty Peck!!!!
The Six Key Winners or their designee, read HRH Jill, will come to the Color Me Rad® crane area to try their key on the lock of the Big-A** Treasure Chest—The one that opens the lock is goin’ home with a BRAND NEW BLUE HONDA CIVIC from PATTY PECK HONDA!
All “Colored-Up” folks, after the ColorMeRad race and who are hungry, go to Sal & Mookies. They will be serving y’all outside—you are too nasty to come inside the building.
Also, Babalu Tacos & Tapas (near Duling Green Space) wil have a “Pic-a-nic”
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. — Sal & Mookie’s 6th Annual Children’s Carnival
ALL DAY— throughout the Fondren Area — different “pockets” of shops will have their own “parking lot parties” going on—music, refreshments, SALES. Kids’ activities abound!
Dusk —
3rd Annual Zippity Doo Dah® Parade
Remember—it’s a NIGHT PARADE—so lotsa battery-operated lights on your outfits!
Who can be in the Parade? You must be EITHER in a Mini-Float Krewe OR have a Weekend Pass to actually be in the Parade.
5:00 p.m. — Mini-float Line Up @ Stadium.
6:00 p.m. — Marchers Line Up @ Stadium.
~7:00 p.m. —Parade Rolls!
RIDE WITH THE BUDWEISER CLYDESDALES IN THE PARADE!
Raffle tickets, $5, for this ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE.
(Proceeds benefit Friends of Children’s Hospital.)
CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW!
Thank you, Southern Beverage Company!
Immediately following the Parade — Head back to the Hilton Ballroom. Stay in your Parade Costumes, PLEASE!
8:30 p.m., or so — Kacey Jones will perform all of your Queenly Faves.
~9:00 p.m. — SPQ™ Ball featuring Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers. Stay in your Parade Costume so we can see each other’s FABULOSITY! Late night snacks from the Hilton. We’ll dance some more til we can’t no more!
(Included in Weekend Pass. NO at the door ticket sales.)
~10:00 p.m. — Somebody is gonna win a Big-A## Larry Vrba Crown! Remember my rule: You must be IN the room and you must be WILDLY ENTHUSIASTIC to win! Raffle tickets will be available when you get here— $5 each. (Proceeds benefit Friends of Children’s Hospital.)
SWEET SUNDAY, MARCH 24
8:30 a.m. — Bathrobe Brunch™ at the Hilton-Jackson! Pig Candy, Chef Brenda’s Shrimp & Grits, etc. YUM!
(Not included in Weekend Pass — $20 ADVANCE PURCHASE for Hilton-Jackson room guests; $29 in advance for non-Hilton guests, $39 if purchased here.)
Music details to come. Jill will speak. Yes, we really do wear bathrobes. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Don’t dawdle, get on up and get down there—Jill needs to start speaking at 9:30 so folks with planes to catch can make it in time!
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE: From 2 p.m. Friday until Noon on Sunday no one may enter the Hilton-Jackson without either an SPQ™ Weekend Pass or a Hilton wrist band or Sunday morning with a Brunch Ticket.
That’s all the info, for now. Check back often!
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