The first Parade Queen pageant was held in 1999. Each year, the Parade Executive Committee invites prominent Polish Americans to serve on a jury to choose a queen and her court. The queen candidates are Polish American high school or college students with qualities that include academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, and service. The queen and the first and second runners-up receive sponsor-funded scholarships; they participate in all parade-related events and for the next year become ambassadors for the Parade and the Polish American community.
