The Inter-Mountain photo The Mountain State Forest Festival announced Friday at Midland Elementary School that fourth-grade student Taelynn Harlan is this year’s Woodly Elf poster contest winner. Above from left are MSFF Assistant Director to the Queens Department Megan Casto, MSFF Queens Department Director Tracy Gooden, MSFF Assistant Director to the Queens Department Lisa Shaffer, Harlan and MSFF Director General Robbie Morris.

The Inter-Mountain photo
The Mountain State Forest Festival announced Friday at Midland Elementary School that fourth-grade student Taelynn Harlan is this year’s Woodly Elf poster contest winner. Above from left are MSFF Assistant Director to the Queens Department Megan Casto, MSFF Queens Department Director Tracy Gooden, MSFF Assistant Director to the Queens Department Lisa Shaffer, Harlan and MSFF Director General Robbie Morris.

ELKINS — A Midland Elementary student was named Friday afternoon as the official Woodly the Elf for the 84th Mountain State Forest Festival.

Taelynn Harlan, a fourth-grader at the school, was honored during an assembly featuring Mountain State Forest Festival officials.

MSFF Director General Robbie Morris, Queens Department Director Tracy Gooden and Queens Department Assistant Directors Megan Casto and Lisa Shaffer were on hand Friday to announce that Harlan had won the annual Woodly the Elf poster contest.

Morris received an overwhelming ovation after he proclaimed that the Forest Festival would indeed return in October.

“Hearing the excitement from the children when we announced that the Forest Festival would be back this fall, and that we were announcing that Woodly the Elf would be from Midland Elementary, was tremendous,” Morris told The Inter-Mountain. “The kids went nuts and it just reenergized our feeling toward the Forest Festival. We are so excited to be back to normal this fall.”

The Forest Festival was canceled the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harlan will have the honor of serving as Woodly the Elf and will become a member of the Royal Minor Court of Queen Silvia LXXXIV.

As he official mascot of the MSFF, Harlan will also make appearances at other festivals around the area in the future.

Woodly is chosen each year as a Randolph County student in the second, third or fourth grades. Students from home, private or public schools are eligible to compete.

There will be four runner-ups to the contest announced at a later date. Those students will be invited to ride on the Woodly the Elf float in the Grand Feature Parade.

The Mountain State Forest Festival is scheduled to run Oct. 1 through Oct. 9.