Each fall, the New Holland Farmer's Day Association holds the town's biggest annual event - the New Holland Fair. Each January, representatives of the association journey to Hershey to take part in the Pennsylvania Fairs & Showmen Convention. This year, 13 volunteers attended the convention, which ran from Jan. 22 through 25. Genevieve Adamow, 2024 New Holland Fair queen, attended to compete against 60 other young women in the Pennsylvania State Fair Queen Competition held throughout the convention.

New Holland Fair president Paulene Redding reported that the convention attracted 1,571 attendees. "It's a big event," noted Margo Korbel, who served as Adamow's chaperone. "This was my third year, and I think it was the best (yet)," Korbel added.

The 112th annual convention included seminars on a variety of fair-related topics, an entertainment showcase, and roundtable discussions, in addition to the queen competition. Redding attended a seminar called "Junior Fair Boards: Why You Need Them," and what she learned motivated her to think hard about passing the organizing of the event to future generations. "(The presenters) give you the motivation (to start a junior fair board)," noted Redding. "You have to have the nerve to get out there and do it, and I am ready to start." According to Redding, seminar leaders stressed attracting high school students to the board, so the New Holland group will accept students ages 13 to 18. Redding planned to start by reaching out to previous fair queen applicants and students who already volunteer at the fair. A Feb. 26 informational meeting was held, and the first board meeting will be held on Thursday, March 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the fair building, located at the corner of Franklin Street and Roberts Avenue. Subsequent meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month. Redding hopes that junior board members will help with a variety of projects, including painting signs that direct fair goers to the exhibit tents located on Fulton Street.

In 2024, organizers added a petting zoo to the fair and directed visitors to see more animals at the Fulton Street exhibits. This year, Redding has secured a grant from Corteva to create an Ag Education Station near the farm show building at the corner of Roberts Avenue and Franklin Street. "(The Ag Education Station will be) a 10-by-30-foot tent with hands-on activities for younger students," stated Redding, who noted the fair queen would spend time at the station and children would have opportunities to take part in agriculture-related activities such as separating cutouts of farm and zoo animals and fruits from vegetables. In addition, she hopes to have boxes where children can plant potatoes. The effort is part of a goal to involve more children in fair activities. In 2024, children were given a chance to take part in the tug of war competition. "We had kids pull during intermission," said Redding, who noted that two teams of 10 were chosen based on volunteers from the audience. Redding added that at the 2025 fair, children who volunteer to pull rope will receive free ride tickets and gift cards. "It gets kids involved," she noted.

Korbel added that asking the children to take part was a win all around. "The kids were excited, the audience was excited, and the judges were thrilled," she pointed out.

According to Korbel, Adamow was the perfect choice to be New Holland's 2024 fair queen. "This girl is really involved and wants to do everything (she can to promote the fair)," said Korbel, who noted that she and Adamow helped children make jingle bell necklaces during Christmas on Main and that she was at the Terre Hill Christmas in the Park event two weekends in a row. "She did that on her own because she has so much initiative," said Korbel, who added that Adamow will throw out the first pitch at the Saturday, Aug. 2, Stormers game and that she will visit local libraries for Reading with Royalty events.

Korbel noted that she was impressed with all the queen contestants at the Hershey competition. "I liked the camaraderie of the girls," she stated. "(I'm amazed at how) all those girls get along so well at that age and not be competitive with each other."

Adamow said that when she saw the application for the New Holland Fair queen competition, she knew it would be a good fit. Among the activities that attracted her were meeting people of all ages, promoting farming, having fun dressing up, and being out and about at functions. "What's not to love?" she asked. She found the fair convention and queen competition in Hershey exciting because of the "many people (who) dedicate their time to (Pennsylvania) fairs. Not only queens, but hundreds of other people from all across the state ... came to Hershey to learn and improve on their town fair. It was such a neat thing to see," she reported.

As with most queen candidates, Adamow experienced her share of jitters during the competition. "(The interview process) was definitely very nerve-racking," she said, adding that the interview was the first time she met the judges face-to-face. "When (I) entered the room, the judges asked (me) to point to where (our) fair was on a map of Pennsylvania (because) ... none of them were from the state," she recalled, adding that the judges followed up with questions about her knowledge of Pennsylvania agriculture. Summing up her experience, she noted, "Representing the New Holland Fair at the state convention was an opportunity that I am so glad I took and am very grateful for." She added that it was a privilege to be able to attend such an event.

Back home, Adamow is looking forward to more opportunities that come with the title. "I am able to meet so many amazing people with such interesting jobs, which has been great for making connections," she said. "The people who make up our town are some of the most hardworking and generous people, and I am so grateful to have met so many of them." Looking ahead, Adamow will visit local fairs and meet other fair queens over the summer. At the convention, she enjoyed meeting other queens whose agriculture experiences have been similar to her own. She encouraged other young women in the area to take part in the next New Holland Fair queen competition. "If you're thinking about applying ... this is your sign to do it," she stated. "You won't regret it!"

Live entertainment was added to the fair offerings a few years ago. For 2025, Redding is working with a production company to secure entertainers to perform at Towne Centre Greene on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

Readers who would like to donate or volunteer for the fair may visit https://newhollandfair.org. Readers with specific questions may email info@newhollandfair.org or call 717-354-5880.