Ruby Ericson of White Bear Lake was sashed as the 2026 Klondike Kate during the annual singing contest at Inwood Oaks Event Center in Oakdale on Wednesday.
The “Kate” contest celebrates the spirit of dance hall girls of the Gold Rush, and Kate is the carnival’s “mistress of fun, frivolity and good fellowship.”
Hopefuls are judged on musical performance, song choice, vocal abilities, costuming, crowd appeal and authenticity in portraying the real-life Gold Rush character Klondike Kate.
Ericson was one of four women who competed for the 2026 title.
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