Texas Rose Festival Queen: Everyone comes back to Tyler

Published 6:43 pm Thursday, May 27, 2021

In 1978 as the Texas Rose Festival parade began and thousands were waiting to see the queen, Miss Virginia “Ginger” Rice Fair, the engine in her float died.

That was one of many stories shared during an informal conversation with the Tyler Morning Telegraph between 2021 Texas Rose Festival Queen Miss Anna Grace Hallmark, 2016 Rose Festival Queen Mallory Kristine Curtis and Fair, the 1978 Rose Festival Queen.

After the Texas Rose Festival Winter Gala on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, Miss Anna Grace Hallmark had an unprecedented year as the festival queen. With the festival and parade canceled during the pandemic, her reign has been extended another year.

When Rose Sunday was finally held on May 23, 2021, she finally felt like it was real. Thanks to two former queens, she learned quite a bit what to prepare for and what it will mean to be Queen of the Texas Rose Festival.

Curtis asked what Miss Anna’s favorite part has been so far and she said, “I really loved the Winter Gala (in 2019), introducing everything, I was kind of sad we didn’t have it this year, but that was my favorite so far.”

That’s when Curtis realized, “You are a double queen, that has never happened before, you are going to go down in history!”

Fair added, “Two years in a row! You are going to have so much fun. You are going to have so many experiences.”

The best story belonged to Fair, as she talked about the parade mishap.

“The parade. It was the most fun,” Fair said. “That was when they were still doing tractors and things like that. My float died right before it came into the stadium. They had to get the wrecker to tow me in!

“So, today they use trucks,” Fair added with a laugh.

They all talked about the attendants and how much they like seeing the children dressed in princess dresses and the boys in suits and tuxedos.

But after a year of no festival, Miss Anna said, “I’m most excited about everyone being able to come.”

During 2020, M. Roberts Digital and the Tyler Morning Telegraph teamed up with the Texas Rose Festival to present a virtual presentation and documentary. Liz Ballard, who has been the executive director since 2014, said the virtual presentation was a “lifesaver.” It held everyone over for this year and the waiting to see the dresses.

Miss Anna said she went to Dallas this week to see her train. The first question Fair and Curtis asked had to do with the weight.

“It is already so heavy!” Miss Anna said. Fair said to expect it to be 30 to 35 pounds or more.

In 2016, Curtis received a standing ovation when her hand-sewn dress, made by four seamstresses, was unveiled as the 16-foot-long and 6-feet-wide train featured over 200,000 stones and jewels.

The former queens also talked about the responsibility Miss Anna will have and the honor she will feel her entire life. Both Curtis and Fair moved back to Tyler.

“I’m trying to explain this to my friend at school (University of Mississippi) and they have no idea how big of a deal this is and they are so confused,” said Miss Anna.

Curtis graduated from University of Oklahoma and lived in Oklahoma City for two years.

“I just moved back home because I love it here, I’m here for good,” Curtis said.

Fair lived in Dallas for 18 years, and felt a sense of pride each time Tyler and the Texas Rose Festival was mentioned. She also moved back.

“It makes you proud of your hometown,” Fair said. “Everybody always comes back to Tyler.”