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鈥業 love this place鈥�

Jacktown Fair begins 161st year with parade, crowning of queen

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Maddox Scott, 2, of Graysville, waves to his parents from a ride at the Jacktown Fair Tuesday. [Garrett Neese]

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Christian Schoenfeldt, 4, of Waynesburg, walks down the midway of the Jacktown Fair with his new balloon animals. [Garrett Neese]

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The opening night of the Jacktown Fair drew plenty of people for fair food and rides. [Garrett Neese]

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Dean Main, 6, of Waynesburg, attempts to win a prize at the Ring-A-Knife game Tuesday night at the Jacktown Fair. [Garrett Neese]

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State Sen. Camera Bartolotta reads a proclamation honoring Jacktown Fair parade marshals Lew and Debbie Crouse Tuesday night. [Garrett Neese]

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New Jacktown Fair Queen Kendra Tharp speaks to the crowd who came out to watch her coronation Tuesday. [Garrett Neese]

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Outgoing Jacktown Fair Queen Madison Burns helps new Queen Kendra Tharp with her sash as Princess Sawyer Jeffries looks on. [Garrett Neese]

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New Jacktown Fair Queen Kendra Tharp, center, stands with Fair Princess Sawyer Jeffries and 2025 Queen Madison Burns. [Garrett Neese]

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A member of the West Greene marching band plays during Tuesday's parade. [Garrett Neese]

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Greg Harper, a performer with the Cincinnati Circus Co., juggles on stilts during Tuesday's opening night of the Jacktown Fair. While he prefers performing on the ground, "I think the crowd likes stilts," he said. [Garrett Neese]

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The Jacktown Fair Parade continued inside the fair gates, where people watched from decorated hay bales on the grounds. [Garrett Neese]

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Parade-goers like Hayden Lohr, 2, of Wind Ridge, had no shortage of candy to choose from at Tuesday's Jacktown Fair parade. [Garrett Neese]

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Phillip Prevost and his mini horses won second place in the Jacktown Fair's traditional float contest. [Garrett Neese]

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Lew and Debbie Crouse, grand marshals of the Jacktown Fair Parade, wave to the crowd Tuesday. Lew is showing sheep at the fair for the 50th consecutive year. Debbie, who recently retired as Central Greene School District's business manager, plays the music at the Jacktown Fair's church service. [Garrett Neese]

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An antique car rolls through the Jacktown Fair Parade. [Garrett Neese]

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Children on the West Greene Pioneers float prepare to toss candy to spectators at the Jacktown Fair Parade. [Garrett Neese]

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The rides, food, animals, and music returned to Wind Ridge Tuesday as the 161st annual Jacktown Fair kicked off with the parade and crowning of the new fair queen.

From lawn chairs and front porches, people watched the parade roll through Wind Ridge down Route 21 all the way past the fair gates, where crowds sat on top of decorated hay bales to watch the show.

Eighty-four groups took part in this year鈥檚 parade, which brings people in from all corners of the county and beyond, said parade coordinator Marcia Sonneborn.

鈥淚鈥檝e had them come in from West Virginia, and sometimes there鈥檚 little kids, and it鈥檚 a really a big deal for them to be able to participate in the parade,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a community effort, and it brings a lot of people together from throughout the community.鈥�

With the parade complete, Sonneborn planned to watch the demolition derby, take a trip through the animal barns and check out the exhibit halls to see what people have entered.

Many members of the crowd wandered up from the parade route to the grandstands, where they witnessed the announcement of the newest Jacktown Fair Queen, Kendra Tharp.

An FFA student throughout high school, Tharp liked the queen鈥檚 role of promoting agriculture. She鈥檇 also heard how fun it is from past queens who are friends 鈥� or in the case of 2023 Queen Marissa Tharp, her sister.

鈥淵ou get to go to a lot of places, meet a lot of people,鈥� Kendra said, recounting Marissa鈥檚 experience. 鈥淚t gets you out there. You get to talk to a bunch of younger kids. It鈥檚 just a really good way to help build your social skills and just go and see different places that you鈥檝e never been before.鈥�

She鈥檚 excited about the state competition in Hershey, where she鈥檒l get to talk with 100 girls who share her passion for agriculture and status as royalty.

As for the rest of fair week, Kendra is looking forward to the demolition derby (鈥渆veryone鈥檚 favorite,鈥� she said), and the livestock shows in the barns.

鈥淚 have some friends who show, so it鈥檚 going to be really nice to watch them and see what they do down there,鈥� she said.

People also found plenty of fun on the midway, with many pointing in wonder at juggler Greg Harper of the Cincinnati Circus Company, who wandered the ground on stilts.

Nancee West of Washington grabbed a photo with Harper and walked away with a complimentary animal balloon.

A former West Greene School District teacher, she likes coming to the fair every year to talk to people and admire the work the kids are doing at the livestock auctions.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great community event, and it鈥檚 one of those rare things that you don鈥檛 have anymore,鈥� said West, who said it was important to hold on to the legacy of the fair. 鈥淪o everybody in the community should come out.鈥�

After the crowning, people flocked to the food booths and the rides. Jayden Burns of Jacktown was waiting with his friends to ride the Mind Winder.

The fair鈥檚 been an annual ritual for all of his 14 years, Burns said.

His favorite parts? The rides and the workers.

鈥淒ude, it鈥檚 so lit,鈥� he said. 鈥溾��Everybody鈥檚 nice, and everybody treats you really good.鈥�

Though he鈥檚 not involved with the agricultural side of things, Burns routinely participates in the ATV races.

鈥淚 love this place,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait for it every year when this comes around.鈥�