Kaylan Donchez, the daughter of Julie Snelling-Donchez of Windom, was crowned Miss Riverfest during the annual pageant held Monday evening in the BARC Auditorium.
Donchez will reign over Riverfest activities that begin in earnest Friday evening with a craft and vendor fair, community cookout, music and fireworks.
Donchez not only was crowned Miss Riverfest, but also was voted Miss Congeniality by the pageant contestants.
First Runner-up honors went to Ella Wilde, the daughter of Tom and Mara Wilde of Windom, while the name drawn for Little Miss Riverfest was second-grader Alizabeth Baloun, the daughter of Brady and Samantha Baloun of Windom.
Lucy Stevens, the daughter of Dustin Stevens of Windom, was voted Miss Photogenic by an online vote held at Citizen Online.
The Miss Riverfest Pageant, conducted by Windom Women of Today, kicks off Riverfest, which continues Thursday with a free acoustic music concert by Jeremy DeWall and Scott Ringquist at Tegels Park. Following Friday’s activities, a bulk of the events happen on Saturday and Sunday, mostly at Cottonwood Lake, with the Riverfest Grande Parade set for 4 p.m., on Collins Avenue, then past Kastle Kingdom, down Lakeview Avenue and finally winding through Tegels Park.
