The Hopkins Raspberry Royalty has evolved over the decades. In the beginning the Raspberry Queen and her court were daughters of raspberry-growing farmers and now they are redefining Royalty as leaders of the community through purpose, integrity, teamwork, courage and humility.
The lineage of the Hopkins Raspberry Festival Royalty goes all the way back to the very first Raspberry Festival in 1935. See Royalty names and photos of the past.
For over 25 years, our float served the Raspberry Festival and Hopkins well! It was in continuous service between 1991, when the Raspberry Festival commissioned its construction, until 2017, when wear and tear forced its retirement. The float measured 12 feet tall and more than 30 feet long- and that’s not including the van that towed it!
Our Junior Royalty rode on a mechanical merry-go-round while our Senior Ambassadors relaxed on the lovely park bench. The Princesses had fun as they rode up and down on the teeter-totter. And our Queen enjoyed the view from her swing.
The Hopkins Raspberry Festival redesigned the float in 2013 to portray a raspberry basket to honor the history of the festival, started by businessmen and farmers during the Great Depression to boost businesses in Hopkins.
Over the many years it was in service, the float won dozens of awards from parades in communities around Minnesota and Wisconsin. The float was part of the identity of the Hopkins Raspberry Festival Royal Family, and it was immediately recognized among parade watchers.
Unfortunately, time took its toll and the float was simply unable to continue the demands of the parade circuit. The Raspberry Royalty float shall be missed but we proudly remember our float for its countless memories.
We’d love to have you be a part of our program. Learn more and apply today!
