73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way crowned on eve of Minnesota State Fair

A 20-year-old college student from Steele County, Jena Hanson, was crowned the 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Aug. 26, 2026, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The event marked the official coronation of Hanson, who will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for over 1,500 Minnesota dairy farmers. In her new role, Hanson will engage with fairgoers, visit classrooms, and attend community events to represent dairy farming. Malorie Thorson, the previous Princess Kay from Wright County, shared her experiences on Facebook, highlighting the excitement and connections made during her tenure. Two runners-up were selected: Isabella Schiffler of Albany and Jaiden Smith of Melrose, with Smith also named Miss Congeniality. Scholarship winners included Hanson, Schiffler, and Claudia Frenchick of St. Martin. For her first official duty, Hanson will sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building, where her likeness will be sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter by artist Gerry Kulzer. The other finalists will have their likenesses sculpted over the following days: Jaiden Smith (Aug. 29), Morgan Morrow (Aug. 30), Isabella Schiffler (Aug. 31), Claudia Frenchick (Sept. 1), Gracie Sellner (Sept. 2), Daisy Zimmermann (Sept. 3), Stephanie Dykstra (Sept. 4), Kalley Christen (Sept. 5), and Elizabeth Coudron (Sept. 6). The Minnesota State Fair concludes on Labor Day, Sept. 7.