Former members of the Queens Village Queens plan for Warwick's 150th anniversary

WARWICK — Former members of the award-winning all girls band, the Queen Village Queens, recently met with Mayor Michael Newhard to organize the participation of other members in Warwick's upcoming Sesquicentennial parade on Aug. 5, 2017.

The railroad brought change

Next year's 150th anniversary celebration is for the Village of Warwick, which was originally a hamlet of the Town of Warwick.
And it was a somewhat insignificant one at that time when compared with more commercially viable hamlets like Bellvale, Florida and New Milford.
That was until the 1860s when the new Warwick Valley Railroad choose Warwick as its headquarters. The hamlet soon became a thriving business center and in 1867 it was incorporated as a village.

1961-2001

The Queens Village Queens, formed in 1961 and active until 2001, was an award-winning all-girl junior marching, maneuvering and parade Drum and Bugle Corps.
According to The Warwick Advertiser, on Sunday May 6, 1962, the Queen Village Queens made their first appearance in white shorts and sweatshirts and with their newly acquired sparkling silver drums.
They then went on to earn an enviable record of taking first place in most competitions followed by a parade, at any day or even unusual times when they returned to Warwick.
A local tavern owner, for example, once reported that he kidded an out-of-town visitor, who was enjoying a nightcap at 2 a.m., that the parade passing by at that late hour was just a normal weekly event.
During Warwick's Centennial celebration in 1967, the Queens not only paraded but also hosted a competition called Music in the Valley at Deming Park. And they often performed at other celebrations such as a half-time pro football show and the Miss America contest in Atlantic City.

Looking for former members and memorabilia

"We will be forming committees to create a float for the parade and to make arrangements for a reunion of all former members," said former Queens member Pam Papaceno Arace. "We also hope to have as many Queens as possible to march behind the float."
She added that efforts are also being made to develop an overall membership list with contact information.
If anyone has any Queens memorabilia such as uniforms, instruments, flags, flagpoles and so forth, contact Pam Papaceno Arace at 914-475-7071 or email pam@araceconsulting.com.
- Roger Gavan