Salem County Fair Celebrates Agricultural Heritage with Youth Showcases, Arena Thrills, and Community Spirit
PILESGROVE TWP. — The Salem County Fairgrounds came alive Aug. 3 through Aug. 7 as community members gathered for the 2026 Salem County Fair. Organized by the Salem County Fair Association—which has promoted regional agriculture since 1959—the annual five-day event maintained its long-standing tradition of free gate admission paired with a single parking pass fee which was valid for the week.
Gates officially opened Monday evening, launching a dense schedule of agricultural exhibitions, grandstand entertainment, and local dining that ran through Friday night’s ceremonial finale. Opening ceremonies started with the National Anthem along with a touching salute as the American Flag was passed up utility pole workers and placed atop a telephone pole in the middle of the fair grounds. After a short live-auction it was time for the 2026 Fair Queen Contest and Little Miss Fair Queen Contest.
2026 Salem County Fair Queen Contest
Payton Seamster of Penns Grove was crowned the 2026 Salem County Fair Queen on Monday, August 3, following opening ceremonies at the Salem County Fairgrounds. Seamster, a rising senior at Penns Grove High School, took home the crown, a sash, a trophy and a $500 Nancy Cadwallader Scholarship after competing against six other contestants. Millie Morlino was named the 2026 Little Miss Salem County Fair Queen.
Gianna Hoffman was named 1st runner-up and Leah Clark 2nd runner-up for Fair Queen. In the Little Miss competition, Ellie Clauer took 1st runner-up and Raegan Foote was named 2nd runner-up. Judges Katie Sutton, Kaycee Clanton and Tiffany Donelow selected this year’s court.
“Good job to all the lovely young ladies up there last night, you all looked beautiful,” fair organizers said in congratulating the full group of contestants.
About the Contest
The Fair Queen and Little Miss contests were held the evening of Monday, August 3, following the fair’s opening ceremonies. The Fair Queen contest is open to Salem County girls entering 11th through 13th grade as of Sept. 1, 2026, who are active in 4-H or FFA. The Little Miss contest is open to Salem County girls in grades 1 through 4 as of Sept. 1, 2026, who are active in 4-H or Cloverbuds.
Meet the Winner and Runners-Up
Payton Seamster — 2026 Fair Queen
Seamster, daughter of Robert Seamster of Penns Grove, is a rising senior at Penns Grove High School who plans to pursue a degree in agricultural education after graduation. She has been active in her school’s FFA chapter since freshman year, competing at the state and national level, and now leads the chapter as president after previously serving as vice president. Seamster made history as the first girl to join the Penns Grove wrestling team, competing as a varsity wrestler for three years and helping launch the school’s new Lady Devils wrestling team. She has lived in communities across Salem County and South Jersey, and she and her father grow crops hydroponically at home. Seamster is on the superintendent’s list and also works in the food service industry.
Gianna Hoffman — 1st Runner-Up
Hoffman is a senior at Salem High School with a straight-A average in the Advanced Placement program. She serves as Student Council president, an FCA leader, choir historian for the RAM Singers, a Salem High School ambassador and stage manager for the theater program. A 4-H member for ten years, she has belonged to the Young Shepherd’s, Peck N’ Pals, Teen Council, County Corners, Goat Herds and Thumpers clubs, serving as Peck N’ Pals treasurer and Teen Council vice president. She volunteers with local churches, the Salem Oak Community Garden and Ravenwood Farms, and runs a baking business that supports local organizations and community events. Hoffman plans to study environmental science and business at Rutgers University.
Leah Clark — 2nd Runner-Up Fair
Clark is a graduate of Woodstown High School and will attend Stevenson University this fall to study biology. She was a 4-H member through the Threads Club and spent four years in the Woodstown FFA Chapter, serving as reporter and vice president. Outside of agriculture and leadership activities, she plays softball and field hockey.
Little Miss Salem County Fair Queen
Millie Morlino was crowned 2026 Little Miss Salem County Fair Queen, with Ellie Clauer named 1st runner-up and Raegan Foote 2nd runner-up.
2026 Open Class Produce Show — Results & Highlights
The Penns Grove FFA Chapter’s 2026 Open Class Produce Show set a new record, drawing 69 exhibitors and 298 entries — the largest turnout in the show’s history. Judging duties went to Dean Sparks, a vegetable farmer from Salem County, who worked through nearly 300 entries spanning beans, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and more.
Top overall honors — Best of Show for the entire competition — went to Lily Wright of Monroeville, for an entry in the Okra class. Wright also took Best in Show in Melons, giving her two of the ten Best in Show titles awarded this year.
Produce Best in Show Winners by Category:
| Beans | Scott Jess, Elmer | Subclass A – Snap Beans, Bush Green |
| Cucumbers | Juliette Heiken, Pedricktown | Subclass A – Slicing |
| Eggplant | Caroline Heiken, Pedricktown | Subclass B – Large |
| Underground Vegetables | Watts Organic, Pittsgrove | Garlic, Class 9 (covers Garlic, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions & Sweet Potatoes) |
| Herbs | James Ferguson, Newfield | Subclass F – Parsley, Flat |
| Melons | Lily Wright, Monroeville | Subclass D – Watermelon, Standard Oblong |
| Peppers | Evelyn Heiken, Pedricktown | Subclass I – Cubanelle |
| Squash | Juliette Heiken, Pedricktown | Class 23, Subclass A – Yellow Summer |
| Tomatoes | Knox Williams, Upper Pittsgrove | Subclass B – Round/Slicing, Red |
| BEST OF SHOW — Entire Show | Lily Wright, Monroeville | Class 16 – Okra |
The FFA chapter thanked all exhibitors for their participation and invited farmers and home gardeners to enter next year’s Open Class Produce Show at the 2027 Salem County Fair.
Grandstand Action Adapts to Midweek Weather
High-energy track and arena events drew heavy crowds throughout the week. Daily staples included crowd-favorite pig races, mutton bustin’, pig scrambles, and junior and high school bull riding.
Tractor pulls—ranging from kiddie and garden divisions to antique and mini-modified rigs—packed the pulling area most evenings. When inclement weather rained out Wednesday night’s schedule, organizers quickly restructured the slate:
- Thursday: Added antique and garden tractor pulls to the evening lineup.
- Friday: Incorporated mini-modified and antique classes into the final schedule.
Other arena traditions included the nightly women’s skillet throwing contest and Thursday’s heavy-weight tomato weigh-in in the Livestock Arena.
Live Stage Acts, Exhibits, and Nightly Spectacles
The Stage Arena hosted a rotating slate of evening entertainment throughout the week, featuring musical performances by Alec Marts, Joe Grasso, and Vinnie Trav and the Dance Bullies, alongside regular performances of “The Magic of Recycling.”
Off the stage, fairgoers explored Salem County’s deep agricultural roots in the Heritage Building and browsed home economics and tablescaping entries in the Open Class Building. Thursday night’s sky lit up with the fair’s main fireworks display, paving the way for Friday evening’s official Parade of Champions in the Livestock Arena.
Here are some of the 4-H Competition Champions within several categories:
- Best in Show Goat was won by Jax Leonard, the Best Market Goat was won by Dakota Dawson, and the Best Senior Showmanship and Overall was Izzy Carlson.
- Senior English Grand Champion Taegan Donelow and our Junior English Grand Champion Gracelyn Wood
- Senior Western Horse Show Grand Champion Jaycee Redrow and our Junior Western Horse Show Grand Champ. Raegan Kraky
- Sheep Grand Champion Rebecca String and Reserve Champion Matthew String
- Steer Grand Champion Aaron Foote and Reserve Champion Luke Kroll!
- 4-H Dairy and the South Jersey Open Dairy Show
-Dakota Dawson: Grand Champion Ayrshire 4-H and Open
-Sabrina Dorado: Grand Champion Jersey 4-H and Open
-Sabrina Dorado: Supreme Grand Champion (receiving award in Memory of Jane String)
-Tice Cobb: Grand Champion Holstein 4-H - Small Animal Round Robin Show Champion is Dakota Dawson (poultry), 2nd is Lizzy Winfield (cavy), 3rd is Adessa Plum (rabbit), and 4th is Tyler Fogg (Waterfowl). Thank you to our judges Allie Gieswein and Lydia Eachus
More Best in Class Results will be added once available.
Local Dining and Family Tradition
Fairgoers turned out in full force for local food traditions, highlighted by Lapp’s BBQ serving dinner plates from Wednesday through Friday near the main stage. The menu featured smoked ribs, chicken, and taco plates served with classic summer sides, cold drinks, and ice cream.
Volunteer-run snack stands, merchant booths, and nightly pony rides kept families engaged along the main fairways throughout all five days.
As the 2026 fair drew to a close Friday night, organizers once again delivered a successful celebration connecting local farmers, youth organizations, vendors, and neighbors in support of South Jersey’s farming legacy.
See a photo gallery from a couple days throughout the week of the Salem County Fair below:
Some photos credits to Salem County 4-H Rutgers Cooperative Extension‘s Facebook Page. Thank you very much for their permission to use the photos. Another big shout out and “thank you” to StaceEy Lodge and the Salem County Thumpers for the images as well.
