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closeReflecting on festivals of the past
Roxanne Cooke
Thousands of daffodils will soon make an appearance in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and Orting for the 75th Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade.
Each float in the parades are required to have a minimum of 2,000 daffodils, which are provided by the Daffodil Festival, said the organization’s vice president, Dick Driskell. Many other units, such as trolleys or fire engines,must have at least 1,000 daffodils.
“It’s a huge job,” said George Woodworth, Driskell’s assistant.
This year’s theme is “75 Years: Remember Your First Daffodil Parade” and will feature 32 floats.
More than 4,400 students in school bands and drill teams will participate this year, Driskell said. Seventy-five volunteers will help out in Puyallup the day of the parade.
“It’s amazing how many people volunteer,” Driskell said. “You wouldn’t have a parade (without them).”
Because 75 years is the traditional diamond anniversary, this year’s Daffodil Festival pins are shaped like diamonds and the Daffodil Festival Traveling Float will sport diamond-shaped décor and props.
Special to this year’s parade is a school band from Kennewick, an ROTC unit from Snohomish and the Patriot Guard, a motorcycle escort to military funerals.
Last year, the Patriot Guard escorted a funeral through the parade because it was the fastest way to get through town, Driskell said. So many people appreciated it that the Daffodil Festival organization invited the escort group to march in all four parades this year.
The parade is about many things, Woodworth said. It’s about a spring celebration of the valley’s daffodils, strong public service and the community support of the Daffodil Princesses and seeing those young women move on to college and their professional lives.
The parades are also a massive effort by thousands of people and too many bright, yellow flowers to count.
“God willing it’ll be sunny,” Woodworth said.
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Volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to help cover Daffodil Festival parade floats with daffodils at 3 p.m. Friday, April 11, at the barn on Chief Leschi’s campus, which is located at 5625 52nd St. E., Puyallup. The barn is located on the south edge of the school’s campus. For more information, call Jim Bradley at 360-893-6399.