The Daffodil Festival
daffodil festival regional festival royalty leadership program grand floral parade held pierce county washington every april consists flower parade yearlong royalty program select festival queen one area high school year royal court spend thousand hour promoting education community pride volunteerism county royal court named official ambassador pierce county county executive pierce county council daffodil festival came existence bulb industry followed severe infestation ‘hop lice’ destroyed area hop crop prohibition u department agriculture recommended bulb planting valley grower mildness climate ideal soil condition climate condition puyallup river valley produce bloom – week earlier area plenty time mid winter market area quickly became nation ‘bulb basket’ producing nation daffodil bulb bulb iris nation tulip variety daffodil grown valley popular locally grown king alfred bulb sunday bulb banquet held mr mr charles w orton hosted civic leader town western washington sumner chamber commerce sponsored first bulb banquet free daffodil given away visitor road became increasingly congested year people drove see colorful field reaching peak vehicle local photographer lee merrill suggested parade held take daffodil people organized first event first festival know today lee decided every festival need queen driving puyallup saw pretty girl stopped asked would queen reply i’ll ask husband elizabeth lee wotten became first daffodil queen age day find proper gown stood reviewing platform flower girl princess watch parade downtown tacoma supporter festival included chamber commerce tacoma puyallup summner daffodil festival made nonprofit corporation funding came donation sale membership annual event festival encompasses whole pierce county originally five participating city included tacoma puyallup sumner orting fife joined daffodil festival grew become rd largest floral festival u exception due covid pandemic due second world war daffodil parade held year since first daffodil narcissus planted george lawler gardenville location poodle dog restaurant fife many earliest bulb imported england continent sometimes cost bulb lawler purchased bulb variety kind hand planted dutch style planting grew acre north puyallup finally acre bank nisqually river near roy early grower charles ed orton frank chernenko hf groningen lmhatch largest grower harold knutson sumner van lierop puyallup wally staazt orting best viewing time march april grand floral parade travel pierce county wa four route tacoma puyallup sumner orting one day participating high school 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 grahamkapowsin high school graham harrison preparatory school lakewood henry foss high school tacoma lake 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 queen theme elizabeth lee wooten puyallup margaret thomas sumner helen edgerton puyallup dorothy lyon sumner bliss lundrigan puyallup bette lee sumner marge roscoe puyallup pauline martin sumner shirley newman puyallup parade parade parade gloria dinwiddle sumner joan edison puyallup doreen moody sumner mary jean grooper puyallup nancy davis sumner elaine chipps puyallup eva beattie sumner — alfred wonderland joan marie dennis puyallup washington territorial centenial mary carlisle sumner vacation land elvira sommer puyallup golden future margaret strachan stadium — story time daffodil janice methven lincoln melody daffodil gretchen brockhoff stadium fairytale daffodil carol mill franklin pierce daffodil salute alaska diane harkness lincoln — daffodil salute hawaii carmel mackin puyallup wonder world sharon silvernail orting daffodil salute century gail belknap mt tacoma great moment karen goettling puyallup — nation parade kay bryson sumner — masterpiece susan bona wilson — land carol parcheta franklin pierce fun fantasy cheryl lamka stadium — tale legend linda michael puyallup — memory lane shelly grobey mttahoma — greatest show earth jean fink lake — nature greatest heritage paula achziger wilson — proudly hail sherri murray fife — happiness lori weber wilson — world need wendy van noy franklin pierce — remember renee hopp rogers — america’s year carol glenn bethel — puget sound usa janice ash wilson — free spirit paula nelson curtis — northwest paradise robin asbjorsen puyallup — magic moment cindy kovalenko sumner — international interlude sandy furtaw bethel — daffodil festival salute country western jeanene dryer bethel — golden memory jeanette hopkins gig harbor — tomorrow’s dream jayme marty clover park — spring alive ‘ kristen marcrander lake — golden enchantment deborah harlan puyallup — quest peace heidi johnson curtis — favorite thing lea snider puyallup — sentimental journey kelly parkhurst fife — puget sound parade ensung kelly nah wilson — kid age brandi rector orting — rediscover america erin haynie rogers — pure imagination julie frye rogers — let good time roll cynthia gee henry foss — field dream hillary faulk sumner — fun fascination jennifer brown sumner — symphony spring allison porter curtis — away jeanna little sumner — romance bloom tiye smith henry foss — century memory tara faw orting — headin’ future katrina woldseth franklin pierce — reason smile angie voile sumner — it’s magic romelynn eleno lake — rock n’ rol jessica dewitt mt tahoma — dream come alive mollie ruiz curtis — daffodil delight michelle wood sumner — jazz olivia anderson cascade christian — remembering first daffodil parade melanie stanbaugh emerald ridge — swing swing annie jeong stadium — carousel spring claire fleming curtis — spirit adventure sarah karamoko foss— believedon’t stop believing mckenna erhardt rogers— magic music marisa modestowicz emerald ridge — ready set grow ashley becker bonney lake — shine light service emily oliveradams spanaway lake — fun sun marin sasaki orting — daffodil paradise allie brook lincoln — tradition bloom katie gilbert white river — heart service parade honoring past katie rose abegglen puyallup — reach star clara blakeslee curtis— hope rise vivian loren hernandez lake — year around sound alejandra gonzalez puyallup — time shine daffodil festival daffodil festival website puyallupcom collection photo tacoma news tribune pierce county resolution r recognizing honoring festival royal court daffodil festival instagram httpwwwthedaffodilfestivalorg http wwwthe daffodilscholarshipfoundationorg httpwwwcloverparkkwaus httpswwwthefaircom httpswwwpuyallupsdorg 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