The Miss Red Wing Organization began in 1965 and continued until 1973. After a brief hiatus, the program restarted in 1983 in conjunction with Red Wing’s River City Days festival and was restructured as a scholarship program based on the Minneapolis Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes program. At this time the Organization shifted from a talent and beauty program to program that focuses on preparing the young women who participate for interviews, public speaking, building self-confidence, and future careers. In 2011, the program changed again from selecting one Queen and two Princesses to selecting three equal Royal Ambassadors.

On the last night of the River City Days festival, our pageant is held and three young women are selected from the group of candidates to serve as goodwill ambassadors and represent “Pretty Red Wing” for one year. All three selected are of equal ranking. The three ambassadors serve as a team throughout their year of service and receive educational scholarships of equal amounts. One of the three candidates selected will also receive the additional opportunity to visit the Minneapolis Aquatennial’s “Best Days of Summer” festival for one week the following summer and vie for the title of Queen of the Lakes or Princess.