When Louisiana festival queens descend upon the nation’s capital each year for Washington Mardi Gras, they fasten their crowns, unfurl their trains, adjust their mantles and ready themselves for a jam-packed schedule.
Over three days, the goal for many of the festival queens is to advocate for their respective industries with leaders and stakeholders who gather in the spirit of Mardi Gras.
“We’re not just these girls who wear these shiny crowns and smile and look pretty,” said Ponchatoula Strawberry Queen Aubrey Brumfield. “It’s not all about the ballgown and the heels.”
Ponchatoula Strawberry Queen Aubrey Brumfield
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Each year, the number of festival queens in D.C. differs. While the event was established in 1944, it wasn’t until 1948 that seven festival queens attended for the first time: Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, Maine White Potato Festival, International Rice Festival, Louisiana Yambilee Festival, Louisiana Strawberry Festival, Plaquemines Parish Orange Festival and City of New Orleans Festival.
This year, 24 Louisiana festivals will send queens to Washington, along with queens from other Mardi Gras krewes and associations, according to Mary Jane “Cookie” Brittain Richardson, a senior lieutenant with Washington Mardi Gras.
In 1990, Richardson was the Washington Mardi Gras Queen.
Being a festival queen and attending Washington Mardi Gras can have a lasting impact. Dana Topham, of Lafayette, first attended Washington Mardi Gras as the 1988 Yambilee Festival Queen.
Dana Topham, of Lafayette, first attended Washington Mardi Gras as the 1988 Yambilee Festival Queen.Â
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“It was the first time I traveled out of the state in a plane, and I went solo. My parents couldn’t afford to come,” Topham said. “We were treated like royalty with full access, including walking in the Oval Office. I even climbed a tree in the White House front lawn — times have changed since then.”
Topham says the trip opened up the way she saw the world, gave her a more global perspective and an understanding of government that she just didn’t have before.
In 2025, Topham’s daughter, Olivia Topham, was one of 25 festival queens. Olivia Topham presented as a representative of the Order of the Troubadours from Lafayette.
The Topham family at the 2025 Washington Mardi Gras when daughter Olivia was one of 25 festival queens. Olivia Topham presented as a representative of the Order of the Troubadours from Lafayette. In this photo are William Topham, Michael Topham, Olivia Topham, Dana Topham and Victoria Topham.Â
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For Brumfield, this year’s Washington Mardi Gras is not her first rodeo.
In 2023, she was there as Miss Andouille for St. John the Baptist Parish. Only 17 at the time, she was one of the youngest in the group, but she says the experience taught her how to travel independently.
She adds that Washington Mardi Gras can bring young festival queens out of their comfort zones, putting them in positions to speak to elected leaders and captains of industry.
Aubrey Brumfield attended Washington Mardi Gras in 2023, when she was there as Miss Andouille for St. John the Baptist Parish. This year, she’ll attend the festivities as Ponchatoula Strawberry Queen.Â
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Brumfield says the festival queens “pour our hearts and souls” into representing and promoting their festivals and organizations. Louisiana Cattle Queen Isabelle Douet, who started her reign in May, released a children’s book in October titled, “Bubba and the Cattle Queen’s Louisiana Adventure” about two characters who travel the state and learn about the cattle industry.
Douet is going to Washington Mardi Gras for the first time this year. She has gone on six farm tours to meet with cattle producers to learn their concerns to share on her trip to D.C.
Douet said many of the cattle farmers expressed concern with President Donald Trump’s recent push to import beef from Argentina, saying that they would rather “let the industry level itself out” like it always has. She noted that the farmers would rather let supply and demand control the prices, instead of importing foreign beef to make prices cheaper.
Louisiana Cattle Queen Isabelle Douet started her reign in May.Â
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One of Douet’s goals is to connect with senators and representatives and remind people of the importance of supporting local dairy and beef producers instead of shopping at big-box retailers.
“A lot of people think this is a vacation for us, but it’s definitely a job,” Douet said. “We are booked and busy the whole time.”
A festival queen’s schedule during Washington Mardi Gras consists of dinners, meet and greets with congress members, lunches, an Arlington Cemetery tour, a captain’s dinner and dance, a grand ball and Louisiana Alive! — one of Brumfield’s favorite events that features Louisiana caterers, tourism groups and favorites like shrimp, boudin and king cake.
“Louisiana Alive is the night that it feels like you’re back home,” she said.
The “Louisiana Alive!” party was the most popular ticket at the 2023 edition of Washington Mardi Gras, which ended late on the night of Jan. 28, 2023Â with an exclusive, black-tie ball.
Staff photo by Mark Ballard
When the women return home after Washington Mardi Gras, they go back to their normal routines — traveling around the state with bejeweled crowns and sashes on the weekends and going to school during the week.
Douet, a senior at LSU, is studying animal science and hopes to attend vet school and become a large farm animal veterinarian. Brumfield, a junior at Mississippi Valley State University, is studying biology and business and hopes to become an orthodontist.
But for one week out of the year, they pack their bags, crowns and sashes to go to Washington, D.C., where they serve as diplomats for Louisiana’s culture and commodities.
Louisiana culture editor Jan Risher contributed to this report.