Do you want to be the face of the Elizabethtown Fair? If you're a young woman between the ages of 16 and 20, you're encouraged to apply for the Elizabethtown Fair queen program.

The queen will represent the Elizabethtown Fair, which will run from Monday, Aug. 21, through Saturday, Aug. 26, this year. "She helps to promote what our fair has to offer to the community and encourage our contestants," said Lia Swartz, fair queen program coordinator. "The queen attends events during the week such as handing out ribbons, crowning the senior king and queen, and participating in children's games and fair auctions. Not only does the queen participate in the events during the week of the fair, but the entire court is encouraged to participate."

Swartz, who was crowned Elizabethtown Fair queen in 2013 and state queen in 2014, said the queen competition offers more than just a crown and sash. "The competition is full of opportunity - the opportunity to learn more about the fair and the community, to make new friends and to gain new skills," she noted. "Don't let the fear of an area of the competition hold you back from trying. My personal experience running for fair queen opened doors for me to learn more about myself as well as introducing me to people who would change my life."

Components of the fair queen competition include a written essay of 300 words or fewer on the topic of "What My Fair Means to My Community," as well as a personal interview, a three- to five-minute speech on the topic of "Why You Should Come to My Fair" and answering an impromptu question. Traditionally, part of the competition, including the crowning of the winner, takes place on the opening night of the Elizabethtown Fair.

The fair queen and the alternate will be awarded premiums in the form of scholarships for higher education. The fair queen will reign for one year and will participate in the Pennsylvania State Fair Queen Competition to be held in Hershey in January of 2024.

Swartz emphasized that she works with the contestants on skills to help them succeed, and she noted that the program has developed a "Queen's Closet" for any contestant who needs business or formalwear for the competition.

"This is a scholarship program, but it also offers so much in the ways of self-development," Swartz stated. "Even if you do not win the title of queen the first time you run, there is so much still to gain from participating."

The deadline to submit an application for fair queen is Monday, July 10. For more information, including an application and complete contest details, visit http://www.etownfair.com and choose the "Contests" tab. Information may also be found by following the Elizabethtown Fair Queen Program on Facebook or by emailing etownfairqueen@gmail.com.