The winner of the country music artist of the year award will lead the Louisiana delegation in the Rose parade on January second in Pasadena, California.
"Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and the Office of Tourism have selected an extraordinary group of 22 outstanding young, talented ladies crowned as festival and pageant queens and Lainey Wilson, winner of the 2022 CMA Artist of the Year award will be representing and promoting Louisiana’s diverse and rich cultural experiences," according to a news release.
Nungesser says the group will invite visitors worldwide to make plans to visit Louisiana in 2023.
"For 2022, on New Year’s Day of this year, the Louisiana Office of Tourism hosted its first float, and won the coveted Wrigley Award for Best Floral Design and Best Entertainment, and reached 2.6 billion people, providing $26 MILLION in estimated advertising value for the state."
Louisiana's 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade float riders include:
- Emily Leleux – Miss Scott Boudin Festival Queen IX (Premier CVB Sponsor)
- Emma Giddens – Miss Merry Christmas (Premier CVB Sponsor)
- Amber DeFatta – Shriners Hospital 100th Anniversary (Premier CVB Sponsor)
- Kirstin Drozd – Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Queen (Premier CVB Sponsor)
- Rose Hudson – Karnival Krewe de Louisiane (Premier CVB Sponsor)
- Catherine Blondiau – Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival Queen
- Amber Borne – Louisiana Cotton Queen LXVIII
- Emma Carter – Queen Dixie Gem Peach LXXI
- Jadyn Devillier – Gueydan Duck Festival Queen
- Jordan Fuqua – Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals Queen
- Jordan Gallegos – 87th Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival Queen
- Avery Hebert – Louisiana Queen Sugar LXXIX
- Mary Hunt – Miss Louisiana's Outstanding Teen
- Shelby LaSalle – 85th Greater New Orleans Floral Trail Queen
- Leiton Leblanc – 2022 Breaux Bridge Crawfish Queen
- Kaydee Meshell – Miss Zwolle Tamale Fiesta
- Kelsey Mire – Louisiana Pecan Festival Queen 54
- Allison Powell – 2022 Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Queen
- Gracie Reichman – Miss Louisiana America
- KT Scannell – Miss Louisiana USA
- Sadie Zaunbrecher – 85th International Rice Festival Queen