ELKINS — The Board of Directors of the Mountain State Forest Festival has selected West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner with the honor of crowning Maid Silvia during the Official Coronation Ceremony for the 87th Festival Friday, officials announced Wednesday afternoon.

Warner will crown 19-year-old Sterling Kump of Moorefield at the Coronation Ceremony, at the Citizens Bank of WV Amphitheater on the campus of Davis & Elkins College beginning at 2 p.m. Friday. Pre-Coronation music and entertainment will begin at 1 p.m.

Miss Kump is the granddaughter of Kerr and Susie Kump of Elkins and Dennis and Tonie Peterson of Marshfield, Wisconsin. She is the great-great-granddaughter of former Governor Herman Guy Kump, 19th governor of West Virginia, who served from 1933 to 1937.

The Mountain State Forest Festival is one of West Virginia’s oldest and largest annual festivals, originating in 1930 in Elkins. It celebrates the state’s autumn beauty and natural resources through nearly 100 events, including parades, concerts, lumberjack competitions, and the coronation of Queen Silvia.

The Mountain State Forest Festival promotes the conservation and prudent development of natural resources while fostering economic activity and providing a cultural landmark for visitors from throughout the U.S.