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2022 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen Regan Regina will be at Family Day this Saturday, Pet Parade this Sunday and crown her successor on June 17.

The 81st Annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival with activities for all ages gets 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.

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

Diane Eaton
dianetn@ptd.net
(570) 724-3800