A Tamaqua girl opened the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show Saturday morning with the singing of the National Anthem.

Carly Green, 14, daughter of Jason and Amy Green, won the honor after being named the overall winner of the 2026 PA Farm Show Star Spangled Sing-Off.

She logged the most social media fan votes in the “Oh, Say Can You Sing?” contest.

Carly said it was “an honor” to be part of the opening ceremony and truly appreciates everyone who helped get her there.

She admitted feeling a little nervous at the beginning of the ceremony — especially when the cameras began rolling.

“But once she started to sing, that all went away and she was able to just be in the moment,” Amy Green said.

After the ceremony, Carly enjoyed a milkshake and deep-fried mozzarella cheese cubes and spent time visiting the many exhibitors.

Without a doubt, her mother said, snuggling baby goats was the highlight of Carly’s afternoon at the show.

Carly is a freshman at Marian Catholic High School and a member of the school’s marching band, soccer team, swim team, track team and the performing arts program.

She was the only winner from Schuylkill County. Other winners will sing live to open each day’s events, as well as special events.

The farm show’s theme is “Growing a Nation” and showcases beloved traditions, including the 1,000-pound butter sculpture, the Farm Show Food Court and Farm Market, Sheep-to-Shawl, sheep herding, lumberjacking, cow milking, and hundreds of daily competitions and demonstrations.

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, Cassandra Coleman, executive director of America250 PA, and a host of state and local officials, as well as current and future Pennsylvania agriculture industry leaders, were on hand to cut the blue ribbon to open the show on Saturday.

“Today, we celebrate an enduring symbol,” Redding said. “One not stitched in fabric, but from soil and sweat, from orchards and barns, from classrooms and city gardens, from the hands and hearts of people who care and persevere and believe in the promise of tomorrow. Today, we celebrate agriculture’s role in ‘Growing a Nation’.”

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Lisa Graybeal emceed the ceremony, which included mounted Pa. State Police, the Revolutionary New Philly Fife and Drum Company, Betsy Ross, a color guard from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Pennsylvania State Police mounted unit, and Green’s singing of the National Anthem.

“It feels exactly right to usher in the semiquincentennial year at the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the nation — alongside the people who feed our communities, care for the land, and keep Pennsylvania growing,” Coleman said. “The Farm Show reminds us that our Commonwealth is strongest when we come together around the values and traditions that have shaped 250 years of American independence.”

During the ceremony, Redding and guests unveiled an America250PA-Semiquincentennial Bell, one of a series of Liberty Bell replicas throughout the state. Pennsylvania artist Cody Sabol of Pittsburgh painted the bell with a quilt theme, commemorating the many elements of our nation’s agricultural roots and future. The Liberty Bell will be moved throughout the Farm Show Complex during the eight-day event for visitors to enjoy. A second bell can be signed by visitors to the America250PA exhibit during the show.

The show is the official kickoff for a year of America250PA commemorations celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. America250PA emphasizes Pennsylvania’s pivotal place in U.S. history as one of the original 13 colonies and its contributions to the nation’s founding, democratic traditions, and future prosperity.

The Farm Show runs through Saturday and draws scores of visitors to Harrisburg every January to connect with the people and products who make Pennsylvania agriculture great. The largest indoor agricultural expo in the nation, the Farm Show features nearly 5,000 animals, 12,000-plus competitive entries from more than 4,600 competitors, plus more than 250 commercial exhibits, and hundreds of educational and entertaining events. Admission is free and there is a fee for parking.

Pennsylvania’s State Fair showcases top competitors from 108 county and local fairs, the diversity and quality of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry, the innovative people who make it thrive, and the faces of our proud past and promising future. The show offers visitors a look at the industry that supports 593,000 Pennsylvania jobs and contributes $132.5 billion to the state’s economy each year.