The Albany Tulip Queen and Court is a symbolic monarchy with a yearly coronation at the Tulip Festival, which takes place in May at Washington Park in Albany, New York annually.[1] The Tulip Queen and her court serve as ambassadors of the city and engage in community service projects during their one-year term.[2]

The Tulip Queen is selected through a process involving letters of recommendation and interviews by a selection committee. Women aged 18 to 24 are eligible for nomination. The selection of the Tulip Queen began as a beauty pageant, but for many years now the Queen and her court have been selected solely based on their community awareness, history of serving the community, and dedication to Albany. Along with the queen, four court members are selected to work throughout the City of Albany during the year.[3] Each year the Queen and her court select a literacy project to implement in the City of Albany.

The crowning of the Tulip Queen starts with a short processional. First come the police, then the Albany Police Band playing bagpipes and drums, then a car containing last year's Tulip Queen and the current mayor. Next come a series of five cars each containing the five Tulip Queen finalists. After the processional, the mayor, each finalist, and few other people give speeches. The mayor reads a note that says who has won the Tulip Queen title. Finally, last year's Tulip Queen takes off her crown and puts it on the head of the new queen. The four finalist not crowned then become the court members. The Tulip Queen and her court serve their year of service until the next Tulip Festival takes place and a new queen is crowned.

The Albany Tulip Queen and Court are an asset to the city of Albany contributing thousands of hours each year in volunteer service.

List of Albany Tulip Queens

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Year Tulip Queen Tulip Court Members* Notes
1949 Jeanne Coakley-Foley First Queen
1950 Dorothy Ward-Scalone
  • d. 2007
1951 Judy Davenport
1952 Jo Pangie-Henk
1953 Peggy Retter Quinn
1954 Lois Tewell-Woodworth
  • d.
1955 Suzanne Schuster
1956 Nadia Spiak-Rymanowski
1957 Carol Thorsen-Quackenbush
  • d. 2015
1958 Jane Armstrong -Snowden
1959 Carol Smurl-Fields
1960 Julie Kaiser
1961 Patricia Ponticello
1962 Nancy Self-Fornato
1963 Joanne Gross
1964 Maureen Glasheen
1965 Bonnie Mason
1966 Donna Vache-Fish
1967 Karen Holtslag
1968 Kathy McTague-Odabashian
1969 Linda Kinnicutt-Lamb
1970 Chritine Little-Daddario
1971 Janet Schlegel-Larkin
1972 Judi Murphy
1973 Patty Mutterer
1974 Jacqueline Regina-Dushensky
1975 Blaine Ryan-Lynch
1976 Patricia Murphy Moonan
1977 Mary Kelly Illnicki
1978 Marjorie Tetrault
1979 Sandy Rector-Deluca
1980 Elizabeth Miller-Grandjacquet
1981 Stephanie Freeman-Cohen
1982 Shelia McGrath-Babbino
1983 Mary Theresa Moreland
1984 Debra Capazucco-Peda
1985 Jill Harris-Johnson
  • Current Selection Committee Member
1986 Andrea Palumbo
1987 Anne Marie Dolan-Scott
1988 Maria Mokhiber-Ziamandanis
1989 Heather Britt-Subik
1990 Diane Foley-Chowenhill
1991 Kelly Hogan-Finelli
1992 Jennifer Recene-Gallagher
1993 Wendy Sims
1994 Victoria Lee Palmer
1995 Stacey Vennard-Kirk
1996 Tamara Thorpe-Odem
1997 Christina Roberts-Ryba
  • NYS Supreme Court Justice
1998 Katie O'Malley
  • Founder and owner of Katie O Weddings and Events
1999 Nichole Stack
2000 Kelly Conlon
2001 Amy Kaplan
  • Currently Selection Committee Co-Chair
2002 Jennifer Gould-Lobban
2003 Kaylin Gross
2004 Meredith Rose-Kelly
2005 Amy Deitz
2006 Amanda Benincasa
2007 Amisha Gomes
2008 Sarah Volk
  • Selection Committee Member
2009 Juliana Hernandez[4]
2010 Mishka Gilkes
2011 Karen Colehour
2012 Emily Finnegan
2013 (65th) Kate Bender[5] Meghan Cahill, Gigi Diffenback, Fendi Munos, Alexis Osborne
  • Meghan Cahill Selection Committee Member
2014 Caitlin Whelan Jillian Callanan, TaraMarie Crisafulli, Kasmira Wilkins, Meghan Yi
2015 Alexandra Cronin Morgan Heyward, Jacqueline Murphy, Eva Petkanas, Sarah Wilamowski
2016 Adaviah Ward Samantha Coons, Mariah Rickard, Racquel Saddler
2017 Ashley Loggins Erin Bryk, Kelly Phillips, Julianna Rauf, Amanda Volk
2018 Sawyer Cresap Katherine Donnelly, Xavia Francis, Natalie Joseph, Elizabeth Stenard
2019 Emily Barcia-Varno Parneet Kaur, Megan Morrill, Michaela Schramm
  • Reign ended July 18, 2020
2020 Kaya Rifenberg-Stempel Kimberly Guzman-Reyes, Samantha Peck, Maya Wilson, Karina Wojnar
  • Reign began July 18, 2020
2021 Ashanti Bishop Aadya Kaushik, Sierra Liotta, Allison Moser, Andrea Thomas[6]
2022 Sam Mills Ashley Mayfield, Sakthi Muthukrishnan, Kathleen Nielsen, Meghan O'Neil
  • First non-binary Tulip Queen[7]
2023 Olivia Owens Mariah Carter, Victoria Clary, Haleigh Gaston, Jadan Rivera[8]
  • The first several decades of the tradition did not honor the court in the way that it currently is. The court began to participate in events year round in the 1980s.

Notes

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  1. ^ "Tulip Queen Finalists to be Announced". Archived from the original on 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  2. ^ "Albany Tulip Queen". Archived from the original on 2008-03-02. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  3. ^ Albany Tulip Queen: The Selection Process. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  4. ^ Tulip Queen and Court. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  5. ^ "Photos: Tulip Festival". 11 May 2013.
  6. ^ Sheridan, Johan (June 13, 2021). "Albany crowns 2021 Tulip Queen". News 10. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  7. ^ Holmes-Brown, Shaniece (May 7, 2022). "First nonbinary Tulip Queen crowned at annual Albany festival". Times Union. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Crowe II, Kenneth C. (May 13, 2023). "And the new 2023 Tulip Queen is..." Times Union. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
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