Miss Louisiana USA Winner, Denham Springs Native, To Ride On Louisiana’s Float In Rose Parade

For the second straight year, Livingston Parish will be represented in one of the country’s biggest parades.

KT Scannell, a Denham Springs native, will be among the two dozen float riders aboard Louisiana’s “Celebration Riverboat,” which will hit the streets of Pasadena, California, for the 134th Rose Parade.

This will be Louisiana’s second straight year participating in the parade, which will take place Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. In its debut last year, the state won the Wrigley Legacy Award given to the float with the “most outstanding display of floral presentation, float design and entertainment.”

The Rose Parade theme for 2023 is “Turning the Corner.”

Scannell, 22, will ride the float with 20 other Louisiana queens from around the state. A former patient of the Shriners Hospital in Shreveport will also be among the float riders.

Scannell, who recently rode in the Denham Springs Kiwanis Club’s Christmas Parade, is the reigning Miss Louisiana USA winner, an honor she received earlier this year. She represented the Bayou State — and her hometown — in this year’s Miss USA competition.

An alumna of Mississippi College, Scannell is looking to become a doctor of chiropractic and helping her community find rest and wellness, according to her online bio. She loves to experience Louisiana’s unique wetlands and upland pine savannas and connects most with her roots through beekeeping, hiking, and creole cooking, her bio says.

Scannell is the founder of Pollination Letters of Encouragement, an initiative that connects young people to veterans. Over the last year, she was recognized by the Denham Springs City Council and Livingston Parish Council.

Scannell will be the second Livingston Parish native to participate in the Rose Parade. Last year, “American Idol” winner Laine Hardy performed Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Born on the Bayou” alongside The Hot 8 Brass Band, a Grammy-nominated group that blends hip-hop, jazz, and funk styles with traditional New Orleans brass sounds.

This year, Louisiana music ambassador Lainey Wilson will perform for millions of viewers nationally and internationally. Wilson is a Country Music Association Award winner and 2022 Academy of Country Music New Female of the Year winner.

As the day of the parade draws near, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser’s office will release photos and video of the decorating process for the “Celebration Riverboat.” A metal skeleton and wood framing will be transformed into a Louisiana icon “decorated entirely with flowers, leaves, and seeds.”

In a statement, Nungesser said, “It is thrilling to be joined this year by our sponsors and to host these 20 Louisiana queens aboard the Louisiana float.”

“All our efforts in the travel and tourism industry in Louisiana are focused on working with our local partners to drive visitation to every corner of the state,” he said. “As I always say, if you can eat it, shoot it, catch it, or dance to it, we name a festival after it in Louisiana.

“This year’s riders are wonderful stewards of our festivals and culture, but also outstanding members of their community that demonstrate the welcoming and neighborly nature of Louisianans.”

The Rose Parade will be broadcast on Jan. 2, 2023, to viewers across the world. The television event airs on several networks including live telecasts in Armenia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and on American Forces Network.

The parade will be broadcast live from 8 a.m. – noon on ABC.

People can keep up with Scannell on her social media platforms: “Miss Louisiana USA” on Facebook and “@misslausa” on Instagram.

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