Theresa McConnon of St. Paul was chosen Wednesday night to be the St. Paul Winter Carnival's Klondike Kate 2016.
She was picked at the Prom Center in Oakdale from among five feisty and talented candidates who were judged on musical performance, song choice, vocal abilities, costuming, crowd appeal and authenticity in portraying the real-life character Klondike Kate.
Here's how that gal is described in Winter Carnival literature: "She had beauty, charm and a man who done her wrong. She was Kathleen Rockwell, and she made her way across the mountains to Dawson City and gold fields around the Yukon and Klondike Rivers, just as many others did during the Gold Rush of 1898."
The winner becomes a member of the Royal Order of the Klondike Kates, which makes more than 100 entertainment appearances a year. The 130th Winter Carnival takes place Jan. 28 through Feb. 7.
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![The Klondike Kate 2016 sash was placed on Theresa McConnon of St. Paul Wednesday night. She was flanked by the other semi-finalists, Kristen Coulthard of West St. Paul. left, and Amy Hopkins of Baldwin, WI. ] JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com Third time was the charm for Theresa McConnon who was named Klondike Kate 2016 in the unofficial first event of the 2016 St. Paul Winter Carnival Wednesday night, January 13, 2016 at the Prom Center in Oakdale.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/TIBHDXGDAKRU4XS2CTBO32TB3Y.jpg?&w=1080)
