PHOTO PROVIDED 2024 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen Liliana Kilgore will crown her successor on June 21.

The 83rd Annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival with activities for all ages gets underway this Saturday, June 14 and continues through Sunday, June 22 in Wellsboro.

According to a news release, kicking off the festival on Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. rain or shine is Family Day and the Children’s Health Fair on The Green. There will be 45 booths with information, activities, such as games to play for prizes, an obstacle course, creative projects to do on-site and take home, such as cow crafts, planting seeds, and making sun bead key chains, suncatchers, window clings and sun visors, and giveaways, like assorted toys, reflective zipper pulls, reusable bags, stickers, etc. Each youngster participating in Family Day will be given a free playground ball or an 18-inch super flying disc to take home. Infants to 12-year-olds will be fitted with free bike helmets while supplies last.

This Sunday, June 15 is the Pet Parade. Children, 12 and under, with decorated bicycles and pets of all types from dogs and cats to horses and lambs will gather for registration and judging at 12:25 p.m. in the Packer Park picnic area behind the Wellsboro Active Living Center (Senior Center) parking lot on Queen Street. At 1:30 p.m., the parade will leave the park, travel up Main Street to The Green for award presentations. Each child entering a pet or a decorated bike has to fill out a registration form to participate in the Pet Parade. Only one pet or one bike per child will be judged.

Questions can be answered by calling the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at 570-724-1926.

Every night, Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 20, will be a free concert with different entertainers. Donations are always appreciated.

On Friday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 21 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the annual Arts & Crafts Fair with 80 artisans, 13 of them new, will be on The Green with unique, handcrafted items and more than 20 vendors will be on the International Street of Foods offering delectable delights

According to the news release, Friday at noon on the Tioga County Courthouse steps is the welcome for last year’s Laurel Queen and the 2025 queen candidates.

Twenty-four young women are competing for the crown — including five from Lycoming County.

Emily Kime is representing Williamsport Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Kerri Kime of Montoursville and Eric Kime of Linden.

Miss Kime was on high honor roll as a freshman and sophomore and on distinguished honor roll as a junior and senior.

All four years of high school she was a member of Model UN. Miss Kime was a superior delegate at the Pennsylvania College of Technology Model UN conventions. She also won “Best Peer Award” at the Bloomsburg University Model UN and was the runner-up for “Best Paper Award”. She was a varsity cheerleader for four years. She received the Coach’s Award as a freshman; the “Most Spirited” Award as a sophomore; was named “Outstanding Varsity Sideline Athlete” as a junior; and was team captain as a senior. Miss Kime was also a four-year member of the honors orchestra and of the Strolling Strings of Williamsport, a youth orchestra where she served as social events coordinator in her senior year.

Cali Barnes, a junior, is representing Montgomery Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Christine and Jeffrey Barnes of Clinton Township and will be a high school senior this fall.

As a freshman, sophomore, and junior, Miss Barnes has achieved distinguished honor roll every semester; is a three-year member of the Leo Club through the local Lions Club; has served as a choreographer for competitive gymnastics youth programs and has competed at a Level 9 in gymnastics through the Dynamats Gymnastics Center in Muncy, earning multiple awards at various meets over the years. Highlights are: as a freshman, she took second place in vault at the State Championship Meet and third place in beam at the Regional Championship. As a sophomore, she took fourth place in vault and sixth place in beam at the State Championship Meet.

As a junior, Miss Barnes played varsity tennis and varsity softball, participated in cheerleading, was named Athlete of the Week, was a member of the Virtuoso-Drama Club, and of DECA, which prepares emerging student leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. As a sophomore, she was president of her class, the Class of 2026, and as a freshman, was a member of Student Council.

Alizabeth Schuler is representing South Williamsport Junior-Senior High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Meriam Scott and Christopher Schuler of South Williamsport.

All four years of high school, Miss Schuler was on the distinguished honor roll and played varsity girls softball. From her freshman through her senior year, she was the team pitcher and the shortstop and served as team captain as a junior and senior. She also played varsity girls volleyball as the outside hitter all four years and was the team captain as a senior. Miss Schuler volunteered to raise money for the Four Diamonds Foundation for research for pediatric cancer. She was a very active Mini-THON member-organizing, setting up, and cleaning up for the 12-hour dance marathon fundraisers. She worked the concession stand at football games and passed the donation can to raise more funds. From her freshman through her senior years, she was a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions and served as a club representative officer as a junior and senior. Miss Schuler was inducted into the National Honor Society as a sophomore and was a member as a junior and senior. She helped with the NHS blood drive by working and donating blood all three years.

Alice Ravert, a junior, is representing Montoursville Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Susan and John Ravert of Montoursville and will be a high school senior this fall.

Her mother, nee Susan Renee Fitzgibbon, represented Warrior Run High School as a Laurel Queen candidate in 1995.

All three years of high school, Miss Ravert achieved honor roll every semester and was a member of concert band, jazz band, marching band, concert choir, Key Club, the Ville a capella choir, high school musical theatre club, high school theatre arts club, Spanish Club, and the Lady Warriors Tennis Team. Miss Ravert plays flute and piano for the concert band, served as librarian as a sophomore and treasurer as a junior. She plays piano for the jazz band and flute for the marching band and served as drum major as a junior. She sings soprano one in the concert choir, was librarian as a freshman, secretary as a sophomore and vice president as a junior. Miss Ravert was a member of the Ville a capella choir, singing soprano one from her freshman through her junior years.

Miss Ravert was a member of the high school musical theatre club, serving as secretary as a sophomore. As a freshman, she had a featured role and was an ensemble member in musicals. As a sophomore, she had a lead role.

Hayley Green is representing Muncy Junior-Senior High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Brandie and Seth Green of Muncy Creek Township.

All four years of high school, Miss Green was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. She qualified for the FBLA state competition as a junior and senior. She also played on the varsity girls’ tennis team, serving as a co-captain in her junior and senior years.

As a sophomore, junior, and senior, Miss Green was vice president of the Class of 2025. As a junior and senior, she was a member of the National Honor Society and as a junior was on the Prom Committee.

These past two years, Miss Green has been employed part-time, working evenings and weekends for Hoopla’s Family Fun in Pennsdale near the old Lycoming Mall.

Carys Barlett is representing Wellsboro Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Courtney and Eric Barlett of Wellsboro.

All four years of high school, Miss Barlett was on distinguished honor roll and was in the GIEP enrichment program. She volunteered to work at the Booster Club concession stand during various school sports events.

As a freshman, sophomore, and junior, Miss Barlett played varsity soccer. After suffering a concussion, she switched to playing varsity tennis as a senior and was team captain. She was named “Tennis Newcomer of the Year” and selected for the Northern Tier League’s All-Star First Team. As a sophomore, junior, and senior, she served on the leadership committee in the school connectors’ program. Miss Barlett was inducted into the National Honor Society. as a sophomore and served as secretary as a junior and senior. She also volunteered with the National Honor Society’s highway cleanup program through PennDOT.

Katelyn Pasteur is representing North Penn-Liberty High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Dorothea and Randall Pasteur of Morris.

All four years of high school, Miss Pasteur has been an active member of Christ Church in Wellsboro, helping with Sunday school and Vacation Bible School, and attending youth group.

As a sophomore, junior, and senior, Miss Pasteur was a Student Council member and a volunteer who helped with elementary school field days.

As a junior and senior, she was a member of the National Honor Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and served as secretary of the Class of 2025. She was a member of Key Club, serving as vice president as a senior.

As a sophomore and junior, she was a member of Aevidum, a mental health awareness club, and went caroling at area nursing homes and group homes. As a freshman and sophomore, Miss Pasteur was on the JV volleyball team. As a senior, she was Yearbook Club president. During her junior year, she volunteered for Veterans’ Day assembly planning and worked with the Class of 2024 in a youth leadership program. As a sophomore, she volunteered every Friday with the CHOP Program at the elementary school.

According to the news release, at 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, Molly’s Boys Jug Band will open the Laurel Queen’s Preview on the Deane Center’s outdoor stage. The 24 queen candidates will be introduced at 5 p.m. and the band will close the event with music.

The Laurel Festival 10K at 9 a.m. and Two-Mile Fun Run at 9:05 a.m. will start events on Saturday, June 21. Registration for both will be from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. at Packer Park on Queen Street.

At 2 p.m. will be the Laurel Festival Parade with floats, queens, top-notch drum and bugle corps, bagpipers, high school marching bands, antique vehicles and more.

At Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. coronation ceremony, the 2025 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen will be crowned, the news release said.

On Sunday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m., the festival will end with the Union Church Service on The Green.

For more information about festival events, contact the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce by stopping in at 114 Main Street in Wellsboro, by calling 570-724-1926, emailing info@wellsboropa.com or visiting wellsboropa.com.