69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Crowned

(KNSI) — The Minnesota State Fair opened Thursday at 7:00 a.m. with a brand new Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

Nineteen-year-old college student Rachel Rinda from Montgomery, representing Le Sueur County, earned the title. Princess Kay candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills, and enthusiasm for dairy. Midwest Dairy sponsors the Princess Kay program, which dairy farmers fund through their promotion checkoff.

Rynda will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 2,100 Minnesota dairy farm families.

Throughout her year-long reign as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rynda will make public appearances to help connect consumers to Minnesota’s dairy farm families. Rynda’s first official duty as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building for nearly eight hours to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter. This year will mark the first year butter sculptor and Minnesota native Gerry Kulzer will be carving Princess Kay and the finalists. He took over for Linda Christensen, who retired after 50 years as the official butter sculptor.

Brianna Maus of Freeport, representing Stearns County, will have her day in the cooler on Monday, August 29th. Maus was also named a scholarship winner. On August 31st, Kallie Frericks of Albany will sit for her sculpture, and her twin sister Hailey will take her turn on September 2nd. 2022 marked the first year in Princess Kay’s history that twins were selected as finalists. Stearns County Dairy Princess Alex Christen of Sauk Centre will get her sculpture done on September 4th.

Throughout the fair, Princess Kay and the other finalists will appear near the Butter Sculpture Booth in the Dairy Building and the Moo Booth in the Dairy Barn. Princess Kay’s Facebook page will provide daily updates and photos of each completed butter sculpture.

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