For the past 24 years, Gary Marion,
known as the drag queen Sushi, has been lowered in a giant high
heeled red shoe from a rooftop to mark the new year.
The red shoe, which is constructed of
fiberglass and stainless steel, is lowered off the roof of the
Bourbon Street Pub along Key West's main street. The annual countdown
attracts throngs of revelers.
Marion started the celebration in 1996.
“They said, 'We have an idea: Let's
do a shoe drop … We made this shoe for you,'” Marion told WPTV.
“'You've got to sit in it for New Year's Eve,' and I said 'okay,'
and that is how it started.”
Marion has made a special dress for
each celebration. As Sushi arrives to begin the countdown, the dress
is revealed for the first time.