Klondike Kate Named For 2017 St. Paul Winter Carnival
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The St. Paul Winter Carnival starts in two weeks, but this year's Klondike Kate was crowned at the Envision Event Center in Oakdale Wednesday night.
This year's new "Mistress of Fun" is Kristen Oster from West St. Paul, and she has beauty, charm and a man who "done her wrong."
Oster boasts that she was married in Las Vegas by an Elvis impersonator on leap day 2016.
She said she has loved watching Klondike Kates since the first time she saw them two decades ago.
Five talented women competed for the role this year. Judges rated their musical performance, costume, crowd appeal and authenticity in portraying the most famous dance hall girl in the north.
Oster said her "strategery" this year was to sing directly to the judges, and on WCCO This Morning deflected Jason DeRusha's questions about alleged Russian hacking into the results of this year's Klondike Kate contest.
The St. Paul Winter Carnival begins Jan. 26.