The Daffodil Festival

The Daffodil Festival is a regional festival and royalty leadership program. The Grand Floral Parade is held in Pierce County, Washington every April. It consists of a flower parade and a year-long royalty program to select a festival queen from one of the 24 area high schools. Each year, the Royal Court spend thousands of hours promoting education, community pride and volunteerism in the county. In 2012, the Royal Court was named the "Official Ambassadors of Pierce County" by the County Executive and the Pierce County Council.

History
The Daffodil Festival came into existence because of the bulb industry between 1922 and 1925. It followed a severe infestation of ‘hop lice’ that destroyed the area's hop crops and Prohibition. The US Department of Agriculture recommended bulb planting to Valley growers because of the mildness of the climate and ideal soil conditions. The climate conditions of the Puyallup River Valley produce blooms about 2–3 weeks earlier than other areas, in plenty of time for the mid winter markets. The area quickly became the nations ‘bulb basket’ producing 50% of the nations daffodil bulbs, over 50% of its bulb iris and 80% of the nations tulips. About 300 of the 12,000 varieties of daffodils were grown in the Valley. The most popular and most locally grown is the King Alfred.

Between 1928 and 1933 a Bulb Sunday and bulb banquet were held. Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Orton hosted civic leaders from 15 towns in western Washington in 1926. In 1927 the Sumner Chamber of Commerce sponsored the first Bulb Banquet. Free daffodils were given away to visitors. The roads became increasingly congested each year as people drove out to see the colorful fields. Reaching a peak of 30,000 vehicles. A local photographer Lee Merrill suggested a parade be held to " take the daffodils to the people". He organized the first event in 1934, this was the first festival as we know it today. Lee decided every festival needs a queen so as he was driving through Puyallup he saw a pretty girl and stopped and asked her if she would be the queen. Her reply "I’ll have to ask my husband". Elizabeth Lee Wotten became the first Daffodil Queen at the age of 28. She had only 4 days to find a proper gown. She stood on a reviewing platform with her flower girl and princess to watch the parade in downtown Tacoma. Supporters of the festival included the Chambers of Commerce of Tacoma, Puyallup, and Summner. In 1937 the Daffodil Festival was made into a non-profit corporation. Funding came from donations and the sale of memberships.

An annual event, the festival encompasses the whole of Pierce County. Originally five participating cities included Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Orting and Fife joined in 1959. The Daffodil Festival grew to become the 3rd largest floral festival in the US by the 1960s. With the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 1943-1945 due to the Second World War, the Daffodil Parade has been held each year since 1934.

The first daffodils and narcissus were planted in 1910 by George Lawler at Gardenville, now the location of the Poodle Dog Restaurant in Fife. Many of the earliest bulbs were imported from England and the Continent, sometimes at a cost of $75 a bulb. In 1911, Lawler purchased 9000 bulbs of all varieties and kinds and hand planted them Dutch style. These plantings grew to 15 acres in North Puyallup, and finally to about 100 acres on the banks of the Nisqually River near Roy. Other early growers were Charles and Ed Orton, Frank Chernenko, H.F. Groningen and L.M.Hatch. The largest growers were Harold Knutson in Sumner, Van Lierop in Puyallup, and Wally Staazt at Orting. The best viewing times are from March 15- April 1.

Parade
The Grand Floral Parade travels through Pierce County, WA, with four routes in: Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and Orting in one day.

Participating high schools
As of 2023, the participating high schools are:
 * Bethel High School (Spanaway)
 * Bonney Lake High School (Bonney Lake)
 * Chief Leschi High School (Puyallup)
 * Clover Park High School (Lakewood)
 * Curtis Senior High School (University Place)
 * Eatonville High School (Eatonville)
 * Emerald Ridge High School (Puyallup)
 * Fife High School (Fife)
 * Franklin Pierce High School (Parkland)
 * Graham-Kapowsin High School (Graham)
 * Harrison Preparatory School (Lakewood)
 * Henry Foss High School (Tacoma)
 * Lakes High School (Lakewood)
 * Lincoln High School (Tacoma)
 * Mt. Tahoma High School (Tacoma)
 * Orting High School (Orting)
 * Puyallup High School (Puyallup)
 * Rogers High School (Puyallup)
 * Silas High School (Tacoma)
 * Spanaway Lake High School (Spanaway)
 * Stadium High School (Tacoma)
 * Sumner High School (Sumner)
 * Washington High School (Parkland)
 * White River High School (Buckley)

Queens                          Theme


 * 1934 Elizabeth Lee Wooten   Puyallup
 * 1935 Margaret Thomas.        Sumner
 * 1936 Helen Edgerton.         Puyallup
 * 1937 Dorothy Lyons.          Sumner
 * 1938 Bliss Lundrigan.        Puyallup
 * 1939 Bette Lee.              Sumner
 * 1940 Marge Roscoe.           Puyallup
 * 1941 Pauline Martin.         Sumner
 * 1942 Shirley Newman.         Puyallup
 * 1943 no parade
 * 1944 no parade
 * 1945 no parade
 * 1946 Gloria Dinwiddle.       Sumner
 * 1947 Joan Edison.            Puyallup
 * 1948 Doreen Moody.           Sumner
 * 1949 Mary Jean Grooper.       Puyallup
 * 1950 Nancy Davis.            Sumner
 * 1951 Elaine Chipps.          Puyallup
 * 1952 Eva Beattie.            Sumner         —    Alfred in Wonderland
 * 1953 Joan Marie Dennis.      Puyallup      -     Washington Territorial Centenial
 * 1954 Mary Carlisle.          Sumner       -      Vacation Land
 * 1955Elvira Sommer.          Puyallup       -    Golden Future
 * 1956 Margaret Strachan.      Stadium      —      Story time in Daffodils
 * 1957 Janice Methven.          Lincoln    -        Melodies in Daffodils
 * 1958 Gretchen Brockhoff.     Stadium     -       Fairytales in Daffodils
 * 1959 Carol Mills.            Franklin Pierce  -  Daffodils Salute Alaska
 * 1960 Diane Harkness.         Lincoln      —      Daffodils Salute Hawaii
 * 1961 Carmel Mackin.          Puyallup      -     Wonders of the world
 * 1962 Sharon Silvernail.      Orting          -   Daffodils Salute Century 21
 * 1963 Gail Belknap.           Mt Tacoma     -     Great Moments
 * 1964 karen Goettling.        Puyallup  —         Nations on Parade
 * 1965 Kay Bryson.             Sumner —            Masterpieces
 * 1966 Susan Bona.             Wilson —            This Land of Ours
 * 1967 Carol Parcheta.         Franklin Pierce -   Fun and Fantasy
 * 1968 Cheryl Lamka.           Stadium  —          Tales and Legends
 * 1969 Linda Michael.          Puyallup —          Down Memory Lane
 * 1970 Shelly Grobey.          Mt.Tahoma —-        Greatest Show on Earth
 * 1971 Jean Fink.              Lakes  —-           Nature Our Greatest Heritage
 * 1972 Paula Achziger.         Wilson. —           Proudly We Hail
 * 1973 Sherri Murray.          Fife. —             Happiness Is
 * 1974 Lori Weber.             Wilson. —           What the World Needs Now
 * 1975 Wendy Van Noy.          Franklin Pierce —   Remember When
 * 1976 Renee Hopp.             Rogers  —           America’s 200 Years
 * 1977 Carol Glenn.            Bethel  —           Puget Sound USA
 * 1978 Janice Ash.             Wilson  —           Free Spirit
 * 1979 Paula Nelson.           Curtis  —           Northwest Paradise
 * 1980 Robin Asbjorsen.        Puyallup —          Magic Moments
 * 1981 Cindy Kovalenko.        Sumner —            International Interlude
 * 1982 Sandy Furtaw.           Bethel  —           Daffodil Festival Salutes Country Western
 * 1983 Jeanene Dryer.          Bethel  —           Golden Memories
 * 1984 Jeanette Hopkins.       Gig Harbor —        Tomorrow’s Dreams
 * 1985 Jayme Marty.            Clover Park —       Spring & Alive in ‘85
 * 1986 Kristen Marcrander.     Lakes  —            Golden Enchantment
 * 1987 Deborah Harlan.         Puyallup  —         A Quest For Peace
 * 1988 Heidi Johnson.          Curtis  —           My Favorite Things
 * 1989 Lea Snider.             Puyallup  —         Sentimental Journey
 * 1990 Kelly Parkhurst.        Fife —              Puget Sound Parade
 * 1991 Ensung Kelly Nah.       Wilson  —           For Kids of All Ages
 * 1992 Brandi Rector.          Orting  —           Rediscover America
 * 1993 Erin Haynie.            Rogers  —           Pure Imagination
 * 1994 Julie Frye.             Rogers —            Let The Good Times Roll
 * 1995 Cynthia Gee.            Henry Foss  —       Fields of Dreams
 * 1996 Hillary Faulk.          Sumner —            Fun & Fascination
 * 1997 Jennifer Brown.         Sumner  —           Symphony in Spring
 * 1998 Allison Porter.         Curtis  —           Up and Away
 * 1999 Jeanna Little.          Sumner —            Romance in Bloom
 * 2000 Tiye Smith.             Henry Foss  —       Century of memories
 * 2001 Tara Faw.               Orting  —           Headin’ for the Future
 * 2002 Katrina Woldseth.       Franklin Pierce  —  2002 Reasons to Smile
 * 2003 Angie Voiles.           Sumner  —           It’s Magic
 * 2004 Romelynn Eleno.         Lakes  —            It Was All Just Rock n’ Rol
 * 2005 Jessica DeWitt.         Mt Tahoma —         Dreams Come Alive in 2005
 * 2006 Mollie Ruiz.            Curtis  —           Daffodil Delights
 * 2007 Michelle Wood.          Sumner —            All That Jazz
 * 2008 Olivia Anderson.        Cascade Christian —  Remembering Your First Daffodil Parade
 * 2009 Melanie Stanbaugh.      Emerald Ridge —     Swing Into Swing
 * 2010 Annie Jeong.            Stadium —           Carousel of Spring
 * 2011 Claire Fleming.         Curtis —            Spirit of Adventure
 * 2012 Sarah Karamoko.         Foss—               Believe(Don’t Stop Believing)
 * 2013 McKenna Erhardt.        Rogers—             Magic of Music
 * 2014 Marisa Modestowicz.     Emerald Ridge —     Ready Set Grow
 * 2015 Ashley Becker.          Bonney Lake —       Shine Your Light With Service
 * 2016 Emily Oliver-Adams.     Spanaway lake. —    Fun in The Sun
 * 2017 Marin Sasaki.           Orting. —           Daffodil in Paradise
 * 2018 Allie Brooks.           Lincoln —           Traditions in Bloom
 * 2019 Katie Gilbert.          White River. —      A Heart of Service
 * 2020 no parade.                                  Honoring The past
 * 2021 Katie Rose Abegglen.    Puyallup —         Reach For Your Star
 * 2022 Clara Blakeslee.        Curtis—              Hope Rises
 * 2023 Vivian Lorens Hernandez. Lakes —            90 Years Around The Sound
 * 2024 Alejandra Gonzalez.     Puyallup —          Time To Shine