Kristen Klaben was reluctant to run for Miss Litchfield, at least initially. “I didn’t even grow up here, and so I was cautious to run for that reason,” she said during an interview last month.
Originally from Florida, Klaben moved to Litchfield in the fifth grade. Sports, not pageantry, occupied her free time growing up, whether basketball, swimming, volleyball or diving. Klaben, who graduated from Litchfield High School last year, attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., as a freshman, and she played basketball there until a hamstring injury sidelined her.
Klaben had no problems making the transition between athletics and formal wear during her reign as queen over the past year. She even found time to play sand volleyball after finishing a parade in Darwin during Twine Ball Days last summer. “I jumped off the float, ran over to the volleyball courts,” Klaben said.
Of course, she took off her crown before playing, and she changed out of her formal dress at the house of Mary Hansen, who assists Litchfield royalty at events during the year. Hansen’s house happens to be near the volleyball courts in Darwin, which made it easy for Klaben to slip into more comfortable attire.
Before deciding to run for Miss Litchfield, Klaben had a hard time envisioning herself in a pageant and wearing dresses and high heels, she admits. But one of the pageant organizers, Nancy McGraw, persisted last year in trying to persuade Klaben to run for Miss Litchfield.
“I encouraged Kristin to run because she has intelligence, beauty and poise,” McGraw said. “She has made a fantastic Miss Litchfield. She is friendly to everyone and has a personality that is outgoing.” Over the years, McGraw said, she’s encouraged many girls to run, knowing they would get a lot out of the experience, even if they didn’t win.
Klaben decided to give it a shot. “I was skeptical before, but I’m glad I did it,” she said.
Winning the crown has been a life lesson. She’s learned to develop her social skills, having to meet and greet people at various events. She’s also learned about what it takes to organize and run community events, such as Watercade. “I’m seeing a different side of Litchfield that I hadn’t seen before,” Klaben said.
She’s also seen a different side of herself. “I feel bad saying this, but being Miss Litchfield has made me feel a lot more girly than I thought it would,” she said.
But by “girly,” she doesn’t mean the job is easy. She and the two princesses, Kate Carlson and Paige Dilley, have participated in numerous parades — rain or shine — and their schedules are packed leading up to the July 13 coronation. “It’s hard to wave when you have umbrellas,” she said about recently riding in a Paynesville parade during a downpour.
The days sometimes get long, and it’s not easy to maintain a charming smile when you’re hot and tired. But meeting so many different people makes it all worthwhile, and it’s especially satisfying to interact with little girls, who think so highly of princesses. “Just by saying ‘hi’ to a little girl on the street, you can tell they really look up to you,” Klaben said.
Copyright 2014 Litchfield Independent Review/Crow River Media/Media News Group.