The 81st Annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival underway

PublisherJune 10, 2023Last Updated: June 10, 2023

6 minutes read

WELLSBORO, PA -The 81st Annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival with activities for all ages got underway this Saturday, June 10 and continues through Sunday, June 18 in Wellsboro.

Kicking off the festival on Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. rain or shine is Family Day on The Green. There will be more than 40 booths with information, activities and giveaways from balloons to free bike helmets and a free playground ball or a large foam Frisbee for youngsters to take home. The 40-member Wellsboro Area School District Spring Marching Band will perform at 10 a.m. with a one-hour dance party for preschoolers to 12-year-olds at 11 a.m.

This Sunday, June 11 is the Pet Parade. Children with decorated bicycles and pets of all types from dogs to ducks will gather for judging at 12:25 p.m. in the Packer Park picnic area behind the Wellsboro 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.

Every night, Monday, June 12 through Friday, June 16, will be a free concert with different entertainers. Donations are always appreciated.

From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday night, June 13, will be the Antique Motorcycle Show. Allegheny Mountain Chapter AMCA riders will display their cycles at The Green and be on hand to talk about them. Main Street Creamery will be selling homemade ice cream on The Green and at 7 p.m. will be a free concert by Molly’s Boys Jugband.

For the annual Arts & Crafts Fair, 75 artisans, 13 of them new, will be on The Green with unique, handcrafted items and the 20 vendors on the International Streets of Foods will offer delectable delights on Friday, June 16 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 17 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday at noon on the Tioga County Courthouse steps is the welcome for last year’s Laurel Queen and the 2023 queen candidates.

At 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 16, the band Yetsu will open the Laurel Queen’s Preview on the Deane Center’s outdoor stage. The 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 17. 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 2023 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen will be crowned.

On Sunday, June 18 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.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE LAUREL FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

81ST Annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival

2023 Schedule of Events

June 10-18, 2023

Free unless stated otherwise

Saturday, June 10

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Family Day & Children’s Health Fair

The Green

Sunday, June 11

1:30 p.m.

Pet Parade

Main Street to The Green

(Judging: 12:25 p.m. at

Packer Park Picnic Area on Queen Street)

Monday, June 12

7 p.m.

Laurel Concert Series

Olds Sleeper – Folk, Country, Delta Blues

Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center

Donations Appreciated

Tuesday, June 13

6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Allegheny Mountain Chapter AMCA

Antique Motorcycle Show

The Green

6 p.m.

Main Street Creamery

Homemade Ice Cream $$

The Green

7 p.m.

Laurel Concert Series

Molly’s Boys Jugband – Blues, Folk, Rock

Outdoors on The Green

Rain location: Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center

Donations Appreciated

Wednesday, June 14

7 p.m.

Laurel Concert Series

Wellsboro Town Band

Outdoors on The Green

Rain location: Wellsboro High School Auditorium

Donations Appreciated

Thursday, June 15

7 p.m.

Laurel Concert Series

Wellsboro Men’s & Women’s Choruses

Broadway to Pop

First Presbyterian Church

130 Main Street

Donations Appreciated

Friday, June 16

10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Arts & Crafts Fair &

International Streets of Foods

The Green

12 p.m.

Queen Candidates Welcome

Tioga County Courthouse Steps

4:30 p.m.

Queen’s Preview &

Laurel Concert with Yetsu

Deane Center Outdoor Stage

Rain location: Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center

Saturday, June 17

9 a.m.

10K Foot Race & 2-Mile Fun Run

Entry fee: 10K $25; Fun Run $5

Packer Park on Queen Street

9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Arts & Crafts Fair &

International Streets of Foods

The Green

12 p.m.

Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Drum Corps

Chamber Office Lawn

114 Main Street

2 p.m.

Laurel Festival Parade

Nichols, Queen, Main, King, Walnut Streets

3 p.m.

Downbeat Percussion

The Green

6:30 p.m.

Coronation of 2023 Laurel Queen

Wellsboro High School Auditorium

Tickets: Adult, $20; Sr. Citizen/Student, $10;

Children, 12 & Under, $5

227 Nichols Street

Sunday, June 18

10:30 a.m.

Union Church Service

The Green

Rain location: First Baptist Church

For more information, 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.

MISS BUCKTAIL:

Miss Haley Burrows is representing Bucktail Area High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Abby Burrows of Renovo and Carl Burrows of North Bend.

All four years of high school, Miss Burrows was Class of 2023 vice president; a student council, yearbook club and Environmental Club member, president of all three as a senior; on high honor roll; varsity softball team member, captain as a senior, earned four-year varsity letterman award and named All-State Softball Player three of those years; was an ASPCA volunteer; a Girl Scout mentor, and church member.

As a sophomore, junior and senior, she was a National Honor Society member, vice president as a senior; as a junior and senior was on the prom and fundraising committees; as a sophomore and senior was a cheerleader and team captain as a senior; and as a sophomore and junior was a varsity swim team member.

Miss Burrows started working when she was 14 for Snyder’s Concessions at carnivals and fairs on some summer weekends. As a junior and senior, she has been employed by the Lions’ Den Food & Ice Cream Shop after school and on weekends and will be this summer.

She enjoys fishing, hiking, mushroom hunting, swimming, softball, and other outdoor activities.

This fall, Miss Burrows plans to attend Lock Haven University, majoring in Biology and Education. She is considering becoming a college professor or a school district superintendent.

MISS CENTRAL MOUNTAIN

Miss Kelsey Morgan Burrows is representing Central Mountain High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Beth and Matthew Burrows of Mill Hall.

During all four years of high school, Miss Burrows was Class of 2023 president; played as an outfielder on the school softball team; was on the varsity softball team as a sophomore, junior and senior, and named to the District VI Varsity Softball All-Star Team as a junior.

She has played travel softball every year since fourth grade.

Throughout high school, Miss Burrows regularly volunteered as a student helper in the adapted physical education program, and, as a senior volunteered as a student helper for adapted art and adapted music classes.

She was on the high school basketball team as a freshman and sophomore and, as a junior and senior was a member of the National Honor Society and German Honor Society (president as a senior).

As a sophomore, Miss Burrows worked at Ellie’s Ice Cream Shop. As a senior, she participated in a diversified occupation program and worked half days during the school week as a bookkeeper and sales person at Momoyo Otsu Clothing and Jewelry Boutique in Lock Haven.

She enjoys softball, reading, painting, traveling, and hanging out with friends.

After graduation, Miss Burrows will travel to Madrid, Spain to spend two and a half weeks in July visiting the exchange student that was at her high school last year and with whom she became best friends.

In the fall, she plans to attend Susquehanna University to major in either international business finance or luxury brand marketing. Her career goal is to combine three passions–business, traveling, and jewelry-to become a gemology wholesaler or as an alternative to become a financial analyst for a big 4 accounting firm.

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