The West Virginia Strawberry Festival King and Queen officially assumed their roles as royalty during a special coronation ceremony Wednesday evening in Wesley Chapel on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Strawberry Festival Queen Kelsey Hill was crowed by West Virginia’s First Lady, Cathy Justice. Hill said she has not attended the festival before, but can’t wait to be such an important part of it.

“This festival means so much to the City of Buckhannon, and I wanted to represent something that means so much to so many people,” she told My Buckhannon. “Buckhannon is where it’s at, so that’s what drove me to compete for the Strawberry Queen.”

Strawberry Festival King Franklin Bush Jr. said his favorite part of the festival are the parades and the energy they bring.

“I just love the floats, all the parades, the noise and the atmosphere,” he said. “It’s noisy, but it’s also wholesome — it’s such a familial atmosphere.”

Bush was crowned by West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt.

My Buckhannon will be bringing you stories and photos throughout this year’s festival. Click here to see our master gallery, or view the festival schedule here.