The Beaver Queen Pageant is Durham’s own special mix of folly, pageantry, and humor. Contestants take on beaver personalities: Fur Pelton John, the Beave Whisperer, and Furrabella-Conchita Carramba. As with every Beauty Queen Pageant, the contestants introduce themselves in their wetlands ready wear, showcase their unique talent, and participate in an interview in their finest evening wear. Beav Aldrin, the 2014 Queen, performed an aerial routine on silks. Furrah Gnawsett-Major, the 2012 Queen, played the Star Wars theme on the clarinet while hula hooping. The Beaver Lodge 1504 organized a formal pageant in April 2005 to celebrate a successful community effort by the Duke Park neighborhood to stop the NC Department of Transportation from eradicating a den of beavers that had taken up residence in wetlands north of I-85. Now, the Beaver Queen Pageant serves as a fundraiser! This year, a portion of the proceeds will benefit Keep Durham Beautiful and Friends of Ellerbe Creek!