Washington County Fair Queen wins state crown
As Erica Teagarden sat on stage waiting for the name of the 2024 Pennsylvania State Fair Queen to be announced, she glanced over at the 57 other young women vying for the title and thought about how every one of them would be excellent representatives for Pennsylvania.
But then she heard her name.
Teagarden, the 2023 Washington County Fair Queen, was crowned Pennsylvania State Fair Queen Saturday night at the Pennsylvania State Association for County Fairs convention at Hershey Lodge in Hershey. In addition to the crown – and, of course, a sash – Teagarden earned a $2,500 scholarship.
“I was shocked, I was so surprised,” said Teagarden, 19, a sophomore agriculture and extension major at Penn State University. “I had said to myself that even if I left as a finalist I’d be happy because all of the girls were so great. I wouldn’t have wanted to be a judge because it was a tough, tough decision to make.”
Teagarden, the daughter of Chad and Bobbie Jo Teagarden, will spend the next year traveling to county expos and fairs, and promoting agriculture and tourism – two of the state’s top industries – for the PSACF and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
It is the first time since 1990 that a Washington County Fair Queen has been selected as the state fair queen. Denise Leigh, who serves as the Washington County Fair Queen Coordinator, won the title that year.
“This is a huge, huge accomplishment. Erica has such a passion for agriculture and educating others in agriculture, and that passion is so evident when you talk to her,” said Leigh. “She’s extremely articulate and very well-versed in anything agriculture-related, and she’s so eloquent and comfortable in front of an audience. She’s going to be a perfect representative for the state association of county fairs and the Department of Agriculture. We are so proud of her.”
Teagarden has been involved with agriculture her entire life. She spent 10 years in 4-H (most of it in the West Alexander 4-H Club) and was a member of the McGuffey chapter of the FFA. She raised market animals, including steer, goats, lambs, hogs, and dairy cattle. Teagarden also served for three years on the Pennsylvania Fair Show Junior Board, and as state fair queen will serve an unprecedented fourth year.
Teagarden’s goal is to teach agricultural education in a Pennsylvania high school.
She views herself as an advocate for the agricultural industry. While she grew up in a rural area, she also encountered people “who had no idea where their food came from.”
“I love to advocate for the industry and the people in the farming community, for the farmers who wake up at 4:30 a.m. to make sure their animals are fed and to milk their cows to make sure we have food on our table,” said Teagarden. “It’s important to raise awareness for them.”
Teagarden and the other county fair queens who competed spent three busy days completing interviews and evaluations, writing an essay, and preparing a speech they delivered in front of the 900 people who attended the convention.
Also attending were West Alexander Fair Queen Abigail Noble, Greene County Fair Queen Adysan Kern, Fayette County Fair Queen Danica Martin, and Jacktown Fair Queen Marissa Tharp.
“This is a leadership program, focused at the state, county and local level on involving young women in agriculture, agriculture education, and showcasing our fairs. They are the PR for the fairs,” said Leigh. “This is a leadership opportunity for them, and their time to shine.”
Teagarden said serving as Washington County Fair Queen helped teach her the importance of agriculture in the county.
“The Washington County Agricultural Fair is the longest-running agricultural fair in the state,” she noted. “It started in 1798 and recently celebrated its 225th anniversary. That says a lot about how important agriculture is in our community and how much of an impact it has in this area.”