Miss Oak Leaf Festival 2009 Payton Whitt, Miss Bridge Day 2009 Ashton Ernst, and Miss Fayette County 2009 Stefanie Skaggs will crown their successors on Saturday evening at the 12th annual Oak Leaf Festival Pageant in Oak Hill.

In the 2010 pageant, 14 young women will compete in the Teen Division, with 17 competing in the Queen Division. New this year is a Ms. Division which will feature three contestants and a Mrs. division with 12 contestants.

Crowned following the pageant competition will be royalty for the Oak Leaf Festival and Bridge Day (titles  open to residents across West Virginia), as well as titles for Fayette County, open only to residents of the county.

The pageant will be held on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 4 p.m. in the Oak Hill High School auditorium. Admission is $5 for people ages 12 and up and free for children under 12. Voting for crowd favorite will be held at the door for $1 per vote. 

Also, the Oak Leaf Festival children’s pageant will be held on Sunday, Aug. 29 at 2 p.m. at Oak Hill High School. Admission is $5 for ages 12 and up, and free to children under 12. 

The Oak Leaf Festival has given nearly $20,000 in scholarships to contestants in the last six years. This year the festival hopes to give just over $3,000 in scholarships to the contestants. If you are interested in donating to the scholarship fund, contact Kristi Atha-Rader, pageant director, at 304-574-0899, or any of the Oak Leaf Festival Committee officers. 

Contestants for this year’s Oak Leaf Festival and Bridge Day Pageant are listed below.



Teen Division



Melissa Wood of Incline

Patricia Cunningham of Oak Hill

Ciera Belcher of Fayetteville

Laken Lester of Princeton 

Alexis Legg of Charleston

Mikaela Shaver of Oak Hill

Allison Walters of Cowen

Amber Wooten of Summersville

Mcailyn Keffer of Edmond

Charley Clayton of Fairmont 

Jordan Goff of Oak Hill

Rebecca Johnson of Oak Hill

Briauna Lewis of Alderson

Kaitlynn Cherry of Summersville



Miss Division



Katlynne Asbury of Saint Albans

Ashton Ernst of Culloden (2009 winner of Miss Bridge Day; eligible only for Miss Oak Leaf title)

Alyssa Hill of Fayetteville

Shanon Ocheltree of Buckhannon

Blair Goodall of Moorefield

Ashley Davis of Beckley

Rachael McKinney of Rainelle

Summer Bowen of Culloden

Marlee Sexton of Parkersburg

Emily Shaffer of St. George

Kaitlyn Mullins of Summersville 

Brianna Morton of Lizemores

Autumn Grose of Crawley

Brooke Myers of Ripley

Elizabeth Pemberton of Oak Hill

Kiona Norvell of Point Pleasant

Brittany Alberts of Barboursville

Ashley Wood of Victor 



Ms. Division



Heather Crum of Point Pleasant

Jessica Herndon of Russelville

Stefanie Skaggs of Oak Hill



Mrs. Division



Rebecca Kroniser

Rowena Short of Summersville

Kayla Tilley of Oak Hill

Kimberly Bennett of Fayetteville

Stephanie Duffield of Maysel

Melissa Starcher of Charleston

Stephanie Browning of Maidsville

Kari Park of Charleston  

Patricia Syner of Edmond

Hannah Hess of Oak Hill 

Elaine Legg of Charleston 

Krista Brogan of Charleston