Fiesta Queen preserves a legacy

Courtesy photo Terri Licano Griego was the Homecoming Queen for Miami High School from 1983-1984.

Miami — Terri Licano Griego remembers riding on the back of a convertible dressed in her royal finest. Her court occupied the convertible ahead of her. Her high school band played as they marched down Sullivan Street.

The occasion was the annual Miami Fiesta parade. Her reign was from 1983 to 1984. Back then the fiesta was a two-day event and Sunday included an opening speech at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church.

She made speeches in English and Spanish in public and on the radio. “It was challenging,” she recalled during an interview last Sunday. “This was a really big deal.”

It was also a way to honor her family and her heritage. Her uncle Ruben Licano was a member of the Globe Miami Latinos Club. “I was such a part of it. My Gramma was a part of it years ago,” she said.

Griego earned her title by selling tickets for a $50 savings bond. In addition to her status as queen, she was awarded a college scholarship. “You worked so hard to sell tickets because you knew you were up against all the other girls to win,” she said.

One of the highlights was the coronation dance at the fairgrounds, where she was crowned and given her velvet and fur lined cape and sash to lead the grand march. “It was a nice thing,” she said.

This year Griego smiles over those memories as she works on the Miami Fiesta committee. She is hoping that lots of other girls will try for the chance to be queen in September. The contest is open to high school and college girls from the age of 15. A new contest has been added for the Annual Reina Pageant for girls age 4 through 15.

A couple of things have changed since Griego’s reign. She had to part with her tiara so she could crown the following year’s queen but girls can keep their crowns now.

The crowns are currently on display at the Miami Town Hall. Girls can come in and take a look and also pick up an application there. They can call 928-961-1804 for information. The event is open to girls of all ethnic backgrounds now and knowledge of Spanish is no longer required.

Any teen girl who wants to be part of the pageantry, but might have difficulty coming up with a dress, is invited to borrow from the Fairy God Mother Project at 928-200-2513 on evenings or weekends. By e-mail, they can contact ebgrant5@aol.com.