Adams County high school juniors have until Sept. 12 to apply for an opportunity to become the next Pennsylvania Apple Queen and spend a year promoting one of the county’s best-known agricultural industries.
The 2026 Pennsylvania Apple Queen contest will be held Sunday, Oct. 11, during the National Apple Harvest Festival. The festival is held annually at the South Mountain Fairgrounds near Arendtsville.
Any young woman who is a high school junior and an Adams County resident is eligible to enter. Contestants do not need previous knowledge about apples or the apple industry, but they must be willing to learn about the industry and help educate the public. Training and study materials will be provided.
The first step is completing an application. After applications are submitted, contestants will attend a tea where they can meet one another and learn more about the competition.
On contest day, candidates will greet visitors attending the National Apple Harvest Festival, participate in a personal interview and take part in an onstage question-and-answer session covering apples and the apple industry.
The winner will succeed 2025 Pennsylvania Apple Queen Sophia Taylor and begin a year of appearances promoting Pennsylvania apples and the people who grow them.
The queen’s responsibilities extend well beyond the Apple Harvest Festival. Appearances can include fairs and festivals, visits to elementary schools and agricultural events. The fall is generally the busiest portion of the queen’s year, and some appearances may require missing school.
Mandatory appearances following the October crowning include Apple Crunch Days later that month and several agricultural events during the winter. The queen is also expected to participate in all four days of the National Apple Harvest Festival during its first two weekends in October 2027.
Contestants should be comfortable meeting and speaking with people of all ages and prepared to serve as representatives of the apple industry throughout their reign.
Applications for the 2026 contest are available through Sept. 12 at Adams County high schools. They can also be obtained by contacting Sandy Kime at 717-752-5913 or megdev@pa.net.
Additional information and an application are available through the National Apple Harvest Festival website.
Source: National Apple Harvest Festival