Wednesday night’s Klondike Kate competition means the St. Paul Winter Carnival can’t be far behind.
Six contestants vied for the 2008 title at the Prom Center in Oakdale, with Audra Weier, right, ultimately donning the winner’s sash. The 33-year-old Weier lives in Cottage Grove.
Below, 1997 Klondike Kate Shar Salisbury performs with other former Kates.
Klondike Kate is modeled after Kathleen Rockwell, a saloon singer of the 1898 Alaska Gold Rush. The crowning of Klondike Kate is the unofficial kick-off of the Winter Carnival, which this year runs from Jan. 23 to Feb. 3.
Copyright 2008 Pioneer Press.