Save the Date for Next Years Festival –
September 26th – October 4th 2020!
About Forest Festival
The Mountain State Forest Festival is one of the largest and oldest festivals in West Virginia, continuing to promote the beauty and splendor of our mountains and valleys in all their autumn glory and promoting prudent development, conservation and culture of our abundant natural resources for the future.
The festival affords us the opportunity to share with our community and state the important role West Virginia’s natural resources play in our economic development. Rich in tradition, the Festival also plays a major role in our local and state economy and offers something for everyone to enjoy, such as, headline concerts and music shows, lumberjack competition, forestry & wood exhibits, juried art show, photography exhibit, quilt show, arts and crafts, amusement rides, (3) parades and the Royal Coronation of Queen Silvia.
Randolph County and the City of Elkins open their streets to accommodate 75,000+ visitors each year, with an opportunity for exploring our surrounding counties.
Meet Queen Silvia LXXXIII
Bridgeport resident Kaitlin Marie Smith has been selected as Maid Silvia for the 83rd Mountain State Forest Festival by Director General Robin Miller.
The selection of Maid Silvia has been kept a secret for months. She, along with her family will visit Elkins on Sunday to attend a private reception in her honor, sponsored by Graceland Inn Restaurant and Conference Center.
“It is with great pleasure that I announce Kaitlin as Maid Silvia for the 83rd Mountain State Forest Festival. Kaitlin’s family has close ties to Elkins and the surrounding area. She has grown up admiring the Festival and will serve as a distinguished representation of our traditions.” Said Miller.
Director General Robert “Robbie” Morris, Jr.
Robert “Robbie” Morris, Jr. will serve as the Director General for the 84th Mountain State Forest Festival, which will take place between September 26th and October 4th. This will be his sixth year with the festival. Morris has two daughters, Elin and Tinley. Morris served as a train bearer in the 1993 Forest Festival, his father, Bob Morris, served as an assistant director in 1992 and 1993, and his daughter Elin served as a flower girl in the 2018 Forest Festival.
Morris is a graduate of Elkins High School and West Virginia Wesleyan College where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s in Business Administration. He is the executive director of the Randolph County Development Authority and the West Virginia Wood Technology Center. He is a 2009 graduate of Leadership WV and was named by West Virginia Executive Magazine as a 2017 Young Gun. Morris is active in many other professional and civic organizations at both local and state levels.
