136TH MAIFEST ROYALTY REVEALED AT SERENADE

  

The royalty for the 136^th Brenham Maifest was announced on Sunday at the annual Maifest Serenade at The Barnhill Center.

The 2026 Junior Maifest Queen and King are Kate Elizabeth Flisowski and Travis Michael Hopkins.  They will reign over the court of “Safari: A Journey into the Wild!”

Kate is the daughter of Sarah and Dax Flisowski, and Travis is the son of Liz and Mike Hopkins Jr. 

The Senior Maifest Queen and King are Stephanie Christina Donnell and Jadon Thomas Shipley.  The two will reign over the court of “Elegance in the Elements”.

Stephanie is the daughter of Karly and Walter Donnell, and Jadon is the son of Pamela and Stuart Musslewhite.

Registration is now open to participate in the Maifest, set for Mother’s Day weekend, May 8-9.  To register, or to volunteer, visit www.brenhammaifest.com.

Full press release from the Brenham Maifest Association below:

Junior Maifest

The 136th Junior Maifest Queen is Kate Elizabeth Flisowski, whose bright smile and adventurous spirit will guide this year’s court on an unforgettable journey into the wild. Queen Kate is the daughter of Dax and Sarah Flisowski and first stepped into the world of Maifest at just three years old, returning each year since to collect new memories along the way. She is a fourth-grade student at Brenham Elementary School, an altar server at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and a dedicated member of her competitive dance company.

With a joyful, playful spirit and a love for animals, Kate is never afraid to be a little silly—especially when it brings smiles to those around her. She finds happiness spending time with friends and traveling the globe with her parents, always ready for her next adventure. You can often spot her creating fun dance routines to teach her friends, practicing competitive dance, or tumbling just about anywhere she finds space. Her energy, creativity, and love for movement will be just what's needed, as her and our King prepare to take us all on a wild adventure!

Maifest has become a special part of Kate’s journey, inspired by watching her mother, Sarah, choreograph countless dances over the years and dreaming of being part of those performances herself. Beginning as a Golden Egg in her very first Maifest, Kate has since appeared in Junior Maifest as an Australian Kangaroo, a Space Alien Cheerleader, an American Girl, Dolly Parton, and a Fairy. In Senior Maifest, she had the opportunity to dance with the Blinn Treasures Dance Team as a Vegas Showgirl in Viva Las Maifest and was honored to serve as a Maipole dancer as well.

Kate is the granddaughter of the late Ken Barland, Mary Sue Carter, and Brenda and Albin Flisowski. Queen Kate will reign alongside Junior King Travis Hopkins over the 2026 Junior Maifest Court of “Safari: A Journey into the Wild!”

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Travis Michael Hopkins, at ten years old, is honored to be the 2026 Junior Maifest King. The son of Liz and Mike Hopkins, Jr., Travis is an honor roll student at Brenham Elementary, enrolled in BISD’s CSI program, and a member of Brenham’s First United Methodist Church. Thrilled to carry on the family’s Maifest legacy, Travis follows in the footsteps of his father, Michael Hopkins, Jr., the 2000 Senior King, and his brother, Tyler Hopkins, the 2024 Junior King.

Travis’ enjoyment of Maifest began before he could walk, riding in the parade at less than a year old. By the age of three, he was actively participating and joyfully embracing a variety of roles throughout the years. His many Maifest adventures have included running as fast as he can as a Gingerbread Man, exploring the seas as a Scuba Diver, transforming into a mighty Transformer, and stepping into the magic as a Wizard. Travis was a part of his brother’s Royal Court as Royal Crown Prince of the Skies. One of his favorite Maifest memories is sharing the Maipole dance with this year’s Junior Queen, Kate Flisowski, his classmate at Brenham Elementary.

With a wide range of interests, Travis can be found diving into a good book, sparking friendly board game competitions, building LEGO creations, and sharing plenty of jokes and adventures. He has a special love for animals and shared during a recent Thanksgiving gathering that he was most thankful for his labrador retriever, Ajax. When he’s on the move, Travis can be found playing soccer, snow skiing, and traveling with his family.

This summer, Travis will return to Camp Longhorn for his third year as a camper at Indian Springs, where earning merits has become a favorite annual tradition. He shares these mutual camp memories with his father, a former Ranch Branch camper, and his brother, a current Ranch Branch camper.

Travis is the grandson of the late Nina & Mike Hopkins Sr., and Tom Davis, as well as the late Libby Davis. 

In the 2026 Junior Maifest themed "Safari: A Journey into the Wild!", Travis will reign alongside Queen Kate Flisowski, as they embark on a memorable Maifest adventure together.

Senior Maifest

Stephanie Christina Donnell, fondly known as Stevie, is the 136th Senior Maifest Queen of the “Elegance in the Elements” Royal Court. She is the daughter of Karly and Walter Donnell, and the granddaughter of Christina Sillavan of Houston; John and Shawn Sillavan of Bellville; and “Billito” and Kathy Donnell of Alpine, Texas.

Stevie is a Brenham Heritage Belle who loves the history and traditions of her Texas family. In 1924, her great-great-grandfather built the historic Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas, and the nearby ranch is a favorite gathering place. Since 2017, Stevie has shared a very special tradition with her dad, who taught her to raise, train, and show her horses at the Washington County Fair, including grand champions Dolly and Blondie.

Maifest is the highlight of the year for Stevie. Maifest brings the entire Washington County community and thousands of visitors from all over Texas together to celebrate spring in Brenham. In 2012, four-year-old Stevie danced in her first Maifest. Thrilled to be Princess Mercury in A Make-Believe Adventure, she has never missed a Maifest performance since. Among her favorite Maifest memories are Maifest 2018, The Great Outdoors, and Maifest 2022, Lights, Camera, Action, when Stevie danced to Footloose.

Stevie is a senior at Brenham High School, a member of the National Honor Society, and an All-American cheerleader for the Brenham Cubs since seventh grade. After school, she works at Blue Bell, where the best ice cream in Texas is made!

When she is not at school or work, you’ll find Stevie shopping with her mom and CiCi in Houston, binge-watching Gilmore Girls on a lazy Saturday, or kicking back with her dad to watch Dallas Cowboys football. And every summer, Stevie looks forward to the annual Donnell family vacation in Orange Beach, Florida—where surrounded by family, sunshine, and tradition, she is truly in her element. It’s a wonderful life!

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Jadon Thomas Shipley, son of Stuart and Pamela Musslewhite, is grateful to be selected as the 136^th Senior Maifest King, reigning over the Court of “Elegance in the Elements”. Jadon has the honor of being the first in his immediate family to serve as Maifest Royalty. He is the younger brother of Landon Shipley and older brother of Leighton, Braxton and Lofton Musslewhite. He is the grandson of Scott and Debra Simons and great-grandson to the late John Clifford and Mary Lou (Kenjura) Simons.

Brenham Maifest holds a special place in Jadon’s heart as family and tradition are two values he treasures deeply. Over the years, he has made many cherished Maifest memories through roles such as Braveheart, a dragon dancer, Jake Paul and even a Yeti. To Jadon, Maifest truly represents what Brenham is all about – a close-knit community that comes together to create memories that last a lifetime.

Jadon is currently a Senior at Brenham High School where he spent three of his four years playing Cub Football, as well as participating in track and field. He is also part of the practicum program, working for Boar Pipeline Supply. When Jadon is not at school or work, you’ll most likely find him along the Louisiana coast or marshes, at the family ranch in South Texas, or heading North for his annual goose or duck hunt – duck hunting being his favorite of all.

While sports shaped who Jadon is today – the great outdoors are what truly captured his heart. Jadon enjoys hunting, fishing, traveling, skiing, spending time with his family and guiding fishing and hunting trips.

This Fall, Jadon plans to attend Blinn College while continuing his work with Boar Pipeline.

Jadon will reign over the 2026 Senior Maifest “Elegance in the Elements” with Stephanie “Stevie” Donnell.