Sunday, August 16, 2026 / Eugene
Mugzy Slugzy takes Eugene's 44th S.L.U.G. crown
Margarita O'Brien won Friday's pageant and begins a year as the city's rain-minded goodwill ambassador.
Eugene has selected its 44th S.L.U.G. Queen, which is a sentence other cities must work much harder to earn.
Margarita O'Brien, performing as Mugzy Slugzy, won Friday night's pageant over six other contestants. Several hundred people attended, and O'Brien's miniature dog joined the occasion dressed as a slug.
The Society for Legitimization of the Ubiquitous Gastropod chooses a new queen as a volunteer goodwill ambassador for the city. Mugzy Slugzy now begins the one-year reign, sash first and questions later.
Field notes
What changed: Mugzy Slugzy was selected Friday as Eugene's 44th S.L.U.G. Queen.
Why it matters: The volunteer role is a durable piece of Eugene's homegrown arts culture and public-event tradition.
Who may be affected: Participants in Eugene's community arts and festival scene, plus anyone requiring evidence that local government has not standardized every form of civic ceremony.