Spring has finally arrived, unfolding with flowers poking through the soil, longer days, and the feeling of renewal as the sun hits your skin for the first time in a while. For most Pennsylvania farmers, spring brings the start of the planting season. This marks a quiet but powerful start of growing not only crops but also growing hope for a better tomorrow not only in agriculture but also as a community. The thoughts and brainstorming begin within the community for people of all ages who are thinking ahead about what exhibits they might proudly show at the Centre County Grange Fair this year.

That’s right, you can be part of this agricultural community! You don’t need to raise livestock or live on a farm to take part–our fair, the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair, welcomes everyone with something to share, create, or celebrate. Simply by investing your time, you can be part of one of the biggest agricultural fairs in Pennsylvania. This year the fair will showcase over 9,000 exhibits of the best of Centre County’s residents from Aug. 20 to Aug. 29, 2026. From children’s exhibits to fruits and vegetables to livestock, our fair offers so many opportunities for our community to get involved.

Hello, Gracie Novosel here…. Your 2025 Centre County Grange Fair Queen. It’s hard to believe that we are in full swing of the spring planting season and it’s time to think about the Grange Fair. Yep, the Great Grange Fair is only four months away. With such a short time until the best days of summer are upon us, it’s time to plan what you could bring to showcase to our community. First, let me point you in the direction of our fair premium book that will be available after Mother’s Day. The premium book lists the exhibit classes, rules and regulations that you need to be aware of before entering your prized exhibits.

For the kids, there are several ways they can get involved at the Grange Fair. The Y. P. of H. Building, also known as Grange Building Number Two, is full of exhibits showcasing our county’s youth. Hundreds of paintings, pictures, and hobby boxes fill the first half of the building. Artwork showcasing your child’s best painting from school could be entered, or they could fill a hobby box with special items they like to collect. It is truly magical to watch their face light up when they see their hard work awarded with a ribbon. The back half of the building is filled with FFA and 4-H projects. This is where I got one of my first blue ribbons at the fair! At the age of eight, I was able to join my local 4-H club, exhibiting projects such as tie-dye, rockets, and tin punch. Local FFA and 4-H kids have already started working with their animals, learning how to take care of them and preparing them for the livestock shows that take place during fair week. Centre County has over a dozen 4-H programs in Centre County that your child can get involved in; just reach out to the county extension office.

The building next to the Y. P. of H. building is Grange Building One. You will find all kinds of exhibits in this building. From fruits and vegetables to flowers, wine, and baked goods, this building is always worth a couple walks through so you don’t miss a thing. Did you know that if your apple pie, along with three other baking categories, earns a blue ribbon, your dessert goes straight through to be showcased at the PA Farm Show? Grange Building One also houses our local Grange exhibits as well as crafts and needlepoint. There is so much to see!

There is truly a way for everyone in our community to be part of one of the best fairs in the state. Enjoy these longer days thinking of what you could exhibit because now is the time to plan, create, plant, and set your sights on that blue ribbon. As for me, I will crown the next Grange Fair Queen on Aug. 19, hours before I move to Tennessee for college. While I won’t be here for the fair this year, it’s time for me to work within my community to help find the next Centre County Fair Queen. We’re looking for Centre County young ladies, ages 16-20, to be part of the queen program as contestants and ages 13-15 for the Junior Ambassador program. Serving as the Centre County Grange Fair Queen has been one of the most rewarding and beneficial experiences of my life–not only because of the scholarship opportunities it has provided, but also because it pushed me outside my comfort zone, opened the door to once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and showed me that it’s a truly unique opportunity every young girl should consider pursuing. If you are interested in joining our program, please attend an informational meeting at Sunset West in Pleasant Gap on May 11, at 6 p.m.

As the seasons continue to change and summer draws near, the excitement for the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair will only continue to grow. Whether you’re planting your first garden, finishing a craft, or considering stepping onto the stage as the next queen or ambassador, know that there is a place for you here. This fair is more than an event–it’s a tradition rooted in community, pride, and the celebration of everything that makes Centre County special. So take that first step, get involved, and be part of something that brings us all together year after year.

Grace Novosel, of Howard, is the 2025 Centre Grange Fair Queen.