The 2022 Carbon County Fair Queen will trade her tiara for a crash helmet Wednesday night when she gets behind the wheel to drive in the fair’s junk car race.

Kiersten Gursky has been racing junk cars at the fair for three years.

“I love it. The adrenaline when you’re out there, it’s very exciting,” she said.

Gursky, a Palmerton native and current East Stroudsburg University student, received the title of fair queen Monday.

The opening night of the 22nd edition of the fair included live music, garden tractor pulls, and the opening ceremonies - where board members recognized the fair royalty and longtime volunteers.

For Gursky, being fair queen is an honor because she has attended the event for years. Each year she looks forward to seeing old friends - and the food.

“It’s fun and family oriented, a good place to be this time of year,” she said.

The fair’s junior miss also has also been attending, and taking part in the fair for years. Morgan Myers will be showing two animals in the dairy beef category at the fair as part of the Carbon County 4-H Livestock Club. The Lehighton Area High School student has been honored for her animals at past fairs and comes from a family of farmers.

“I’ve been coming to the fair since I was born basically,” she said.

Several others involved with the fair received honors during the opening ceremony.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recognized Warren Steigerwalt as a 2022 Friend of the Fair. Steigerwalt has been the fair’s announcer and audio engineer since it began in 1999. He’s also a lifetime member of Mahoning Valley Fire Company and a retired teacher at Carbon Career & Technical Institute.

The fair board dedicated a bench in his honor, and another for Robert Lutz, a fair board member who died in November.

Betsy Silliman, Elizabeth McElwee and Sue Eremus Anthony were named the fair’s 2022 volunteers of the fair.

“These fairs could not function without volunteers,” fair board President Judy Borger said.

The three volunteers are each members of local Lions Clubs, which take a big role in organizing the event. The Lions’ District Governor, Lisa Leon, pointed out that the clubs involved in this year’s fair have a combined 300 years of service to the greater Carbon County Community.

The opening night entertainment included music by Steel Creek on the main stage. Outside the arena DJ Chicken Nugget got country line dancers moving.

“If you don’t know it, you can hop in and try it. If you mess it up, it doesn’t matter,” said Tiffany Young-Poindexter, who traveled from Bethlehem to dance.

Monday was also the fair’s day to honor veterans. Fifty veterans received free tickets to attend the fair thanks to the Palmerton Lions Club and Together With Veterans NEPA.

Palmerton Police Chief Timothy Kromer, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, received a Quilt of Valor for his military service.