The spotlight shone brightly Saturday night, July 11, 2026, at the Tyler Consolidated High School Auditorium as the West Virginia Oil & Gas Festival crowned its 2026 royalty during the annual Queen’s Pageant, a tradition dating back to the festival’s founding in 1968. Brooklynn Markley was crowned the 2026 WV Oil & Gas Queen, also claiming the Miss Photogenic title.
Markley, a poised and articulate young woman and student at West Virginia University, will now serve as the festival’s ambassador throughout the year, representing the state’s oil and gas heritage at parades, community events, and the festival’s marquee celebration scheduled for September 16th through the 19th in Sistersville.
Contestants in the Queen’s pageant, all between the ages of 16 and 21, competed in several areas including a three-to-five-minute personal interview, outfit of choice, evening gown presentation, and an on-stage question segment.
Also during the evening’s competition, Lorelei Morgan was crowned the Teen Division Queen. Morgan earned the judges’ highest honors through her poise and stage presence while demonstrating the qualities that exemplify the festival’s commitment to developing young leaders.
This year’s pageant was also a night of heartfelt recognition. The Barbara Vincent Memorial Spirit Award, given in honor of longtime festival supporter Barb Vincent, was presented in both divisions. The Teen Division Spirit Award went to Kylinn Finnicum, while the Queen’s Division Spirit Award was awarded to Lauren Whetzel. Both recipients were recognized for their kindness, camaraderie, and embodiment of the festival’s community-centered values that reflect the legacy of Barb Vincent and her many years of dedicated service to the festival.
The pageant has long been a central part of the West Virginia Oil & Gas Festival, which was established to honor the rich history and economic contributions of the petroleum and natural gas industries in the region. Since then, the event has grown into a multi-day celebration that includes a grand parade, live music, vendors, historical exhibits, food trucks, rides and more.
As the newly crowned queens begin their reign, anticipation now builds for the main festival set to take place in September. 2026 Queen Brooklynn Markley and her court will play leading roles in festival events, including riding in the Grand Oil & Gas Trophy Parade.
The West Virginia Oil and Gas Festival Pageant Committee extends special recognition and heartfelt appreciation to the many businesses and individuals whose generous sponsorship help make the annual pageant a success. Momentive sponsored the Junior Royalty Team and Queen sashes, while the Holiday Inn of New Martinsville provided lodging for the Teen and Queen contestants. Kathy Crompton sponsored the Teen and Queen second runner-up scholarships. Additional sponsors included Jonathan Staddon with Visual Frame Photography; Kathy Compton, Red Aspen Consultant; April Hagedorn of Little House Design Company; 2025 Junior Miss WVOGF Brielle Wells, who sponsored the Junior Royalty awards; The Flower Basket, which provided the Teen and Queen Court floral bouquets; Tyler Consolidated High School; Zack Smith Who sponsored the Teen, Queen and Judges dinner; Terry and Debbie Sim; Steven Thomas; Seth and Alyssa Wolf, the 2023 WVOGF Queen; and Erin Wellman, the 2022 WVOGF Queen and 2025 Miss West Virginia USA, who sponsored the Teen First Runner-Up Scholarship. The committee expressed sincere gratitude to each sponsor for their continued support and commitment to the festival and its outstanding young contestants.