PORTLAND, Ore. — The 2024 Portland Rose Festival Queen has officially been crowned! Kobi Flowers of Jefferson High School is the 110th Rose Festival Queen.
Flowers earned the coveted role for her contributions to her school and community, and her commitment to making a positive impact on the world, the Portland Rose Festival said. The Queen represents the city and the Rose Festival for one year at appearances throughout the country.
"I'm just blown away," Flowers said about being crowned.
She is varsity cheer captain, secretary of student government and a member of Jefferson High's Black Student Union. She has also been part of the leadership team at the Portland nonprofit Self Enhancement, Inc.
Flowers said she didn't expect to be crowned, but she is grateful for the opportunity.
"I’m very excited to not only represent Portland, but also represent Jefferson. That’s something that’s always going to stick with me and my heart," Flowers said. "So I’m very excited to represent my school and be the face."
In the fall, Flowers will be a student at Howard University's College of Medicine. She hopes to become an anesthesiologist or a pharmacist.
Flowers and the Rose Festival Court will be in the Grand Floral Parade Saturday morning. They'll be riding on the Unitus Community Credit Union float.
"These are my sisters for life," Flowers said, talking about her Rose Festival Court. "I’m excited to even bring them on this journey with me as I step into a new chapter."
KGW will stream the Grand Floral Parade live starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday on the KGW website and app, the KGW YouTube channel and KGW+.