The highlight of the 81st Annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival in Wellsboro is the coronation of the 2023 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen on Saturday, June 17.

While in Wellsboro, the 27 Laurel Queen candidates will enjoy a full weekend of activities.

At noon on Friday, June 16, they will gather on the Tioga County Courthouse steps for the official welcome. The young ladies will then go to Colton Point State Park to visit the West Rim and see the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon followed by a picnic lunch.

At 4:30 p.m. on Friday, the band Yetsu will open the Pennsylvania Laurel Queen’s Preview on the Deane Center’s outdoor stage at 104 Main Street. The 2022 Laurel Queen Regan Regina and this year’s queen candidates will be introduced to the public at 5 p.m. and the band will close the event with great music. Bring lawn chairs. The rain location is the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre. 

Saturday afternoon, June 17, the candidates will ride on floats in the 2 p.m. Laurel Festival Parade. Also featured will be the Pennsylvania Bucktails, drum and bugle corps, bagpipers, high school marching bands, vintage cars, floats and more. 

That evening at 6:30 p.m., the coronation of the 2023 Pennsylvania State Laurel Queen will be on stage at the Wellsboro Area High School Auditorium at 227 Nichols Street. Coronation tickets are available at the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at 114 Main Street in Wellsboro and at the door.

There will be a free concert a day Monday through Friday, June 12-16.

The juried Arts and Crafts Fair and International Streets of Foods will be open with 95 vendors from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 16 and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. The festival concludes Sunday morning, June 18 with the 10:30 a.m. Union Church service on The Green.

For more information about Laurel Festival activities, call the chamber at 570-724-1926, email info@wellsboropa.com or visit www.wellsboropa.com.

Some of the Local Candidates are:

Miss Coudersport Mady Goodrich

MISS COUDERSPORT

Miss Mady Goodrich is representing Coudersport Junior-Senior High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate. 

She is the daughter of Brooke Goodrich of Coudersport and Matt Stiles, also of Coudersport.

All four years of high school, Miss Goodrich sang soprano in the school choir; was a French Club member and participated in Mock Trial. Active in church for 12 years, she volunteered for church service projects and suppers all through high school.

As a sophomore, junior and senior, Miss Goodrich was a Coudersport varsity cheer squad member every winter, earning the sportsmanship award as a sophomore and junior and lettering as a junior and senior. As a freshman, sophomore and junior, she was a member of the “Coudersport Show Choir Fire” and, as a junior was a mentor and choreographer.

As a junior and senior, Miss Goodrich was on the varsity football cheerleading squad, lettering both years, and as a junior was awarded “Most Spirited”

As a junior, she successfully presented her case to administration as to why the school should add a competition cheer team. In her senior year, the program was added and she proudly participate

Miss Goodrich was a Future Farmers of America member as a junior and senior; and on distinguished honor roll as a freshman and high honor roll as a senior.

She was accepted by the Coudersport Rotary Club to be an international exchange student to France during her junior year but the program was canceled due to Covid. 

Miss Goodrich was employed throughout her high school years. Every summer, she worked at the Penn-York church camp, as a freshman at Kaytee’s Family Restaurant and as a junior and senior at Rite Aid as a sales associate, She also worked with the Coudersport Music Department as secretary her junior year.

Her hobbies include reading, writing, painting, photography, swimming, and ice skating.

After graduation, Miss Goodrich plans to attend Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa., where she was awarded a prestigious scholarship. She will double major in Secondary Education and English with the career goal of becoming a successful high school English teacher. 

Miss Port Allegany Olivia Schott

MISS PORT ALLEGANY

Miss Olivia Schott is representing Port Allegany Junior-Senior High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate.

In 2006, her cousin, Vanessa Kabes (née Kirby), represented Canton Area High School as a Laurel Queen candidate.

She is the daughter of Christa and Daniel Schott of Port Allegany.

During all four years of high school, Miss Schott was on high honor roll; on the Smethport girls’ varsity golf team (co-captain as a senior, four-year letterman, in district championship tournament every year and team’s MVP every year; on Lady Gator’s Soccer (lettered as a sophomore, junior and senior, league all-star as a junior, won the biggest heart team award as a senior, and four-year scholar athlete); in Drama Club (major role in school play or musical every year); was a peer helper; in French Club (parliamentarian as a junior and senior) and Varsity Club; Gator News writer and editor; in her school’s enrichment program, participating in academic events such as the Quiz Bowl, Mock Trial, the Shakespeare Monologue Competition; and did altar-serving and cantering for church services at her local parish.

As a sophomore, junior, and senior, she was on the track team and a district meet qualifier (in district championship meet as a junior) and a chamber singers member.

Miss Schott was a National Honor Society member as a junior and senior (vice president as a senior) and a  jazz choir member (qualified for district chorus) as a senior. She won the 2022 Bausch & Lomb Science Award as a junior.

The summer before her junior year, she worked at Schott Associates Eye Care, doing inventory, cleaning, filing, and other minor office work.

She enjoys sewing, baking, reading, and running.

After graduation, Miss Schott will attend Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa. seeking a degree in forensic science. She hopes to obtain her Ph.D. in forensic science, and work in either a lab or as a university professor.

Miss Smethport Kaylee Swanson

MISS SMETHPORT

Miss Kaylee Swanson is representing Smethport Junior-Senior High School and her community as a Pennsylvania Laurel Queen candidate. 

She is the daughter of Rebecca and Tor Swanson of Smethport.

All four years of high school, Miss Swanson was on high honor roll; varsity volleyball team spiker and four-year letterman; was in concert band, a student council member (co-president as a senior); and a stage crewmember for theater productions (stage manager as a sophomore, junior and senior).  

Inducted into the National Honor Society as a sophomore, she was a member as a junior and senior and a three-year blood drive volunteer.

As a freshman and sophomore, she played left field for the softball team, and was a marching band member. As a freshman and junior, she Class of 2023 president.

As a senior, Miss Swanson was a member of the yearbook club, Youth Inclusive Leadership Club and prom committee, and a McKean County Fairgrounds volunteer. As a freshman, she was a member of DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) and placed second in the state fashion show. 

Miss Swanson has been employed at the Smethport Drive-In all four years of high school, working after school, weekends, and summers.

She enjoys photography, drawing, and hiking.

This fall, she will attend Penn West Edinboro in Edinboro, Pa. and major in Accounting.

LIST OF NAMES OF ALL 27 2023 LAUREL QUEEN CANDIDATES AND THEIR TITLES:

  1. Miss Austin, Savannah Horton

  2. Miss Blue Ridge, Libby Zick

  3. Miss Bucktail, Haley Burrows

  4. Miss Cameron County, Kendyl Hostetlar

  5. Miss Canton, Camille McRoberts

  6. Miss Central Mountain, Kelsey Burrows

  7. Miss Coudersport, Mady Goodrich

  8. Miss Cowanesque Valley, Janna Quick

  9. Miss Fairfield, Elysabeth Haugh

10. Miss Jersey Shore, Kira Bierly

11. Miss Millville, Kellsey Eyer

12. Miss Montgomery, Gabrielle Segraves

13. Miss Montoursville, Melody Rzeszotarski

14. Miss Mount Carmel, Morgan Kaleta

15. Miss Muncy, Alyssa Weigle

16. Miss New Covenant, Esther Allen

17. Miss North Penn-Liberty, Jaclyn Nelson

18. Miss North Penn-Mansfield, Bryanna Johnson

19. Miss Port Allegany, Olivia Schott

20. Miss Smethport, Kaylee Swanson

21. Miss St. John Neumann, Adelyn Dawes

22. Miss Towanda, Katherine West

23. Miss Troy, Gabrielle Lathrop

24. Miss Warrior Run, Emma Podobinski

25. Miss Wellsboro, Piper Boyce

26. Miss Williamson, Lena Lewis

27. Miss Wyalusing Valley, Elana Jennings