A drag queen in a shoe high above, adoring fans down below, and the only thing keeping them apart was a countdown to midnight. LGBTQ fans and allies gathered on Duval St. in front of Bourbon Street bar for the annual shoe drop to ring in 2024.

However, there was a twist on tradition this year. Christopher Peterson got glammed up and took a seat in the shoe. He replaces Key West icon Sushi, but her influence was still felt.

“The first thing I asked Sushi was, ‘How do you go to the bathroom?’” he said.

Sushi replied in typical double entendre, “Well, that….depends.”

The night was flawless. The shoe took about a minute to drop, and she sang all the way down. Once 2024 arrived, she sang Auld Lang Syne with the crowd and celebrated with the rest of the revelers.

Dropping from the shoe is a prestigious honor in the Conch Republic.

“I was shocked when [Bourbon Street owner] Joey Schroeder asked me in August.”

Peterson immediately got to work.

“The process is simple: you go to your closet and look for a dress to wear. As for the songs I picked, immediately I thought I must do Defying Gravity from Wicked.”

Peterson is a star on the island, performing at Aqua Nightclub as an Aquanette. If you get down there in 2024, make sure to check out their shows.