Gary Marion has gained fame in the Florida Keys as drag queen “Sushi.” On New Year’s Eve, Sushi is lowered from the balcony of the Bourbon Street Pub on Duval Street in Key West in a giant red stiletto shoe to welcome in the New Year.
If you’ve ever been to New York on New Year’s Eve, you know the spectacle. When the clock strikes midnight, the big ball drops in Times Square to welcome the new year. This event is crazier and flashier in Key West. Elegantly draped, drag queen Sushi floats in a giant red high heel at the Bourbon St. Pub, corner of New Orleans House, and is lowered from a balcony to the cheers of the cheering crowd as the new year begins.
Similarly popular traditions abound in Key West at Sloppy Joe’s Bar on Duval Street, where a large conch shell is dropped to the ground, and at Schooner Wharf, it’s even a pirate bride that’s lowered to the ground from a tall pole. At Ocean Key Resort & Spa, however, a giant replica of a lime wedge dives into an oversized margarita glass to toast the New Year – Cheers & Prosit New Year!
