Nanango Mardi Gras Princess Katie Paterson with committee president, Cr Barry Green

October 10, 2013

Excitement is building ahead of this weekend’s Heritage Nanango Mardi Gras with the official crowning of the 2013 Mardi Gras Princess.

Seven entrants competed for the prestigious role before a big audience at the Copper Country Restaurant in Nanango on Wednesday night.

Each girl was given an opportunity to speak to the crowd, who then filled in ballot slips to vote.

The winner was well-known Nanango sportswoman Katie Paterson who was then sashed, crowned with a tiara and presented with a bunch of flowers.

Katie will be kept busy at the Mardi Gras this Saturday with a number of official roles, including taking part in the annual street parade.

Nanango Mardi Gras Princess entrants, from left, Katie Paterson, Sarah Armstrong, Reanna Fenton, Toni Schick, Brittany Gray, Charmaine Broderick and Taleah Thompson 

Desley Gaedtke crowns Nanango Mardi Gras Princess Katie Paterson

Mark Gaedtke and Graham Archdall from the Heritage Nanango Community Bank 

Carol Hutcheson, from Kingaroy, performed bush poetry chosen for the occasion 

Jane Erkens and Tony Cisneros were part of the musical crew providing entertainment 
Proud parents … Lynelle and Brian Paterson with their daughter Katie 

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Heritage Nanango Mardi Gras

The 2013 Heritage Nanango Mardi Gras will again include the popular King Of The Mountain foot race which will get underway at 10:30am from the corner of Fitzroy and Drayton streets.

There’ll be trophies for King of the Mountain and Queen of the Mountain (runners aged over 15) as well as the Prince and Princess of the Mountain (15 years and under). There’ll also be trophies for the Senior Man and Senior Woman (over 50s).

The ever-popular Street Parade will start in front of the Nanango Cultural Centre, in George Street, at 12:30pm. The parade will then go up Drayton Stret to the corner of Gipps Street and then return to George Street.  Floats will continue on to Pioneer Park where they will be on display.

The Mardi Gras will also include market stalls, food stalls and entertainment in Pioneer Park.

At noon, the Nanango Art Fest mural competition will officially finish, and visitors will be able to inspect the six finalists’ works.

At 3:00pm, live music will commence in Pioneer Park with 12 bands performing on stage until 10:00pm:

  • 3:00pm – Bunya Nut Ernie
  • 3:20pm – Billy Tea and Keith Edwards
  • 3:40pm – Lazy Sunday duo
  • 4:05pm – Tori Somers
  • 4:30pm – Seascape Duo with Mr Q backing band
  • 4:55pm – Luke Green and Dave White
  • 5:20pm – Loose Cannons
  • 5:45pm – Craig Menere and Cary Elmer with Mr Q backing band
  • 6:10pm – Dana Stewart with Mr Q backing band
  • 6:35pm – Rowan Edwards with Mr Q backing band
  • 7:10pm – Sue Fong
  • 8:00pm – Fireworks Display
  • 8:15pm – The Mr Q Experience with guest vocalists Leila May, Luke Green and Stella Cisneros with guest artists Keith Edwards, Cary Elmer and Annastasia (fire-twirling display)

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Last Year’s Mardi Gras

(video by Ellee Productions)