Jazz Society crowns king and queen of Mardi Gras
The Hot Springs Jazz Society presented Don Gooch, community bank president of Arvest Bank, and his wife, Dana, as the next king and queen of Mardi Gras at a coronation ceremony Thursday at The Hotel Hot Springs & Spa.
The couple are the seventh king and queen of the Jazz Society’s Mardi Gras. “It always feels good when you get to wear a crown,” the king joked.
The couple both expressed happiness at being selected to serve as king and queen. “I am very excited to find out I am part of a very exclusive club called the Ancient Queens of Mardi Gras,” Dana Gooch said.
As king and queen, the Gooches will lead a dance at next year’s Mardi Gras Costume Ball and Contest. The couple are already planning their elaborate costumes. Without revealing what they will be wearing, Don Gooch said he is sure that his costume will have a lot of sequins.
The ball, which will be held in March, is a fundraiser that is put on annually by the Hot Springs Jazz Society. Gretchen Taylor, Hot Springs Jazz Society executive director, said that there are two main reasons for the ball. The main one is to put on a good party. The other one is to raise money.
On the party side, Taylor said that the event is a lot of fun. There will be a costume contest, and jazz bands Spa City Stompers and Delta Brass Express will both be playing that night. There will also be a silent auction at the event.
As for the money, Taylor said that the raised money will be used in several ways. One is that it will help send high school students to a jazz camp. The money will also help pay for the Hot Springs Jazz Fest, which is held on Labor Day weekend. Events like the ball help keep Jazz Fest free, Taylor said.
The Gooches said that they have been supporters of the society for a while. “We’ve never had a bad time at one of their events,” the couple said.
Taylor said she approves of the choice for king and queen this year. She said “I was thrilled to hear” that they had accepted the positions.
The president of the society, Bill Freeman, also expressed satisfaction with the choice. “We couldn’t think of a better king and queen, because they deserve to be king and queen of everything,” Freeman said.
The ball will be held on March, 3 at The Hotel Hot Springs & Spa. It starts at 6 p.m., and cost $60. A table of 10 can also be purchased for $600.