Altona's 2020 Manitoba Sunflower Festival Queen is Brooklyn Thiessen. The annual tradition, with well over fifty years of history behind it, continued in a new way this year, streaming the pageant online, with organizers making the decision to go that route after the Festival was cancelled earlier this year.

Jayden Hildebrand was named 1st Princess, with Tai Linklater selected as 2nd Princess.

Thiessen says the experience may have been different than what the nine girls who participated expected when they signed up, but her emotions were still running high when her name was announced.

“Right now, I’m just so many emotions, I’m so happy,” said Thiessen moments after being crowned. “It’s just kind of a reflection of how this year has gone. It’s been such a challenge with not being able to finish high school the way we wanted, and having the grad we wanted, so now, to end it this way, makes me really happy.”

Needless to say, with the arrival of COVID-19 and the restrictions and protocols it brought, the pageant experience was different, but still one Thiessen will treasure.

“It was very different, because we didn’t get all of the experiences you used to in the past with the mentorship program, and we didn’t get to do any parades together besides the little drive-by we did yesterday,” explained Thiessen. “But it was just such a cool experience, because we’ve all gone through the same time. We’ve all graduated in this year, and we’re all going through the same disappointments and the same challenges, so just to be able to have those girls to lean back on, and work through all these challenges, is really amazing.”

 

 

Thiessen noted her favourite part of the pageant was the fashion show rehearsals, but now she will be shifting her focus to representing Altona at various community and regional events, as well as across the world in Australia. Organizers are hopeful in 2021 they will be able to continue the tradition of having the Manitoba Sunflower Festival Queen travel to Altona’s sister city Emerald to participate in that community’s Central Highlands Sunflower Festival.

“I’m so excited,” said Thiessen. “I can’t wait to experience more things in the community, and meet more community members, and just be able to volunteer and be involved in more events.”

And Thiessen’s advice for the young women considering entering the 2021 pageant?

“Just for for it,” she encouraged. “Even through all the challenges, even if there is just a hint of you that’s ‘I want to do this’, or even if you’re scared of the speeches or whatever, you have such a great support group from all the other girls participating. Just go for it!”

The 2020 Manitoba Sunflower Festival Royalty with judges Lorraine Stuart (far left), Renee Funk (second from left) and Karen-Lynn Smith (far right)