Scenes from the 27th Daffodil Parade. Queen Diane Harkness, 17, of Lincoln High School and her attendants on the Tacoma City Light float, "Diamond Head," on April 9, 1960. 51,000 gold King Alfred and white Mt. Hood daffodils formed a replica of the famous Hawaiian landmark, Diamond Head, on the Queen's float which has traditionally been built by the Public Utilities department of the City of Tacoma. Queen Diane is seated on a majestic throne flanked by stately palms and four large orchid drum flowers. Six Daffodil princesses cluster around their queen wearing orchid leis and carrying daffodil bouquets. The 50 degree sharp breezy weather did not deter the daffodil royalty from smiling and waving happily to thousands of spectators lining the streets. (TNT 4-8-60, p. 1, 4-9-60, p. 1, 4-10-60, p. 1)

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1960 : Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Harkness, Diane;

Even the clowns riding on a tandem bicycle stare in awe at the Insured Savings & Loan Assns. of Tacoma's "sand-and-palm tree" float #19 entered in the April 9, 1960, 27th Daffodil Parade. Five lovely ladies sit among the hundreds of daffodils and wave to the packed crowds lining up at 10th & Pacific Avenue. The float, "Hawaiian Wedding Song," won the Festival Award for depicting the best parade theme. The 48' float had a lush tropical setting which showed a wedding party with a tiki god at the rear watching over the proceedings. (TNT 4-9-60, p. 1)

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1960 : Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Insured Savings & Loan Associations of Tacoma (Tacoma);

The Tacoma Real Estate Board shared some "aloha" spirit with Tacoma during the 27th Daffodil Parade when their daffodil-bedecked float, "Happi Time," proceeded past the Greyhound station at 1319 Pacific Avenue on April 9, 1960. Eight young ladies, adorned with leis, waved to the crowd lined several deep on the sidewalk. The theme of the Daffodil Festival was "Daffodils Salute Hawaii;" this float used thousands of daffodils on the catamaran and boathouse to create a happy, tropical atmosphere. It was awarded first prize in the Clubs & Organizations Division. (TNT 4-10-60, B-8)

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1960 : Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Tacoma Real Estate Board (Tacoma);

50 uniformed members of the Lincoln High School band strut their stuff accompanied by a drum major, baton twirler and cheerleaders during the 1961 Daffodil Parade. Spectators are thickly clustered on both sides of the 900 block of Pacific Avenue. Temperatures were in the chilly 50's but did not dampen the crowd's and participants' high spirits. The theme of the 28th annual parade was "Wonders of the World." (TNT 4-8-61, p. 1)

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1961 : Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Marching bands; Drum majors--Tacoma; Baton twirling--Tacoma;

1967 Daffodil Parade. The "stream" of "hot coffee" does not seem to soil the white ballroom gown of Susan Bona, the 1966 Daffodil Queen, as she stands in the daffodil coffee cup waving to the large crowds lining Pacific Avenue during the 1967 Daffodil parade. The Coffee House Roasters float #21, cleverly named the "Queen's Coffee Break," was also accompanied by three elves. Miss Bona is currently a freshman at the University of Puget Sound. Photograph ordered by Coffee House Roasters.

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1967: Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1960-1970; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1960-1970; Bona, Susan;

ca. 1950. This Cammarano Brothers daffodil-covered float was waiting at 23rd & Dock St. either before or after the annual Daffodil Festival floral parade circa 1950. A Double Cola bottle is at one end of the float with a well on the other. The Cammarano Brothers were longtime bottlers and distributors of beer and carbonated beverages. (Photograph courtesy of the William Cammarano Collection) TPL-10416

Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Daffodils--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Manning's Coffee supplied one of the most elaborate flower covered "floats" in the first annual Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival parade held on March 17, 1934. Still recovering from the Great Depression, most clubs and businesses were unable to contribute in a big way; decorated cars, busses, bicycles and horses were more common then traditional floats. Manning's Inc., located at 1102 Commerce, specialized in coffee; they also had a market at the same location and a restaurant at 258 So. 11th.

A young rider, dressed in chaps and a flower decorated hat, posed on a daffodil festooned horse ready to ride in the first annual Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival parade on March 17, 1934. The main viewing area was 11th & Pacific, where the parade passed with daffodil bedecked autos, busses, bicycles, carts and horses, as well as marching bands and drill teams. Still reeling from the Great Depression, business and club entries in the first parade were modest when compared to later years.

This float in the 1936 Daffodil parade carries the K Street emblem mounted on an axis and describing the K Street business sector as the "Hub of Activity." The float is offered by the K Street Business Mens' Association The floral tribute is built on the bed of a large truck. (T. Times 4/20/1936, pg. 3)

This Standard Oil truck is all decked out in flowers for a drive in the 1936 Daffodil Parade. It has even sprouted two giant daffodils on top like horns. The large fuel truck is covered with flowers and draped grasses.

ca. 1935. The Rotary Club, almost always represented in the Daffodil Parade, entered this flower covered car in one of the early parades, most likely 1935. The automobile has so many flowers that even the wheels are covered with their own bouquets.

Two young girls with bouquets of daffodils ride atop the Rotary Club of Tacoma's float in the 1940 Daffodil Parade. The focus point of the Rotary Club float is the gigantic globe, with the continents marked out with daffodils. The floats are lined up in a staging area prior to the parade. See Series D9587 image 19 for a Richards Studio photograph taken at almost the same exact time. TPL-2941

Sumner's entry in the 1940 Daffodil Parade was this floral cross section of a daffodil. Each daffodil petal is occupied by a girl. The girls wear white dresses. The float appears to be lined up in a staging area. One can only wonder if there were also five girls on the other side of the float, or if this float could only be fully appreciated from one side. The Tacoma Times calls the float a giant paddle wheel, a-la a Mississippi riverboat, with a girl in each paddle. See D9587 image 4 for another view of the float. (T. Times 3/30/1940, pg. 1)

Pauline Martin, age 18, born in a Montana log cabin, sits on stage with bouquets of daffodils after being named 1941 Daffodil Queen during pageant at Sumner High School. (T. Times, 3/1/1941, p.1)

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1941 : Sumner); Martin, Pauline;

The 1946 Daffodil Parade proved to be a great success and lived up to its pre-war standard of excellence. View of parade entries, possibly the Veterans of Foreign Wars marching through South Meridian Street in Puyallup. Crowds of people are gathered on both sides of street to watch the Daffodil Parade. TPL-833

Daffodils--Puyallup; Parades & processions--Puyallup; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Puyallup);

Puyallup Girl Scouts proudly march down the street following their float in the 10th annual Daffodil Parade, held on March 30, 1946 in Puyallup. The Daffodil Planning Committee was not going to have a parade, due to a post war shortage of trucks and decorators, until the Puyallup Chamber of Commerce stepped in and put together the first parade in three years. The first post World War II parade was a great success. TPL-8694 (TNT 3/31/1946, pg. 1)

Daffodils--Puyallup; Parades & processions--Puyallup; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Puyallup); Floats (Parades)--Puyallup; Girl Scouts (Puyallup);

Thirty thousand spectators, three times the population of Puyallup, were estimated to have attended the 1946 Daffodil parade on March 30, 1946 in that city. The first post war Daffodil parade was 90 minutes long. On of the first groups to pass was Governor Mon C. Wallgren sitting on the back of a convertible. Young uniformed guards march on either side of the vehicle. Parade spectators line both side of Meridian Street in Puyallup. (TNT 3/31/1946, pg. 1)

Daffodils--Puyallup; Parades & processions--Puyallup; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Puyallup); Floats (Parades)--Puyallup; Wallgren, Mon C., 1891-1961;

Gloria Dinwiddie of Sumner, Queen of the 1946 Daffodil Festival, was photographed preparing for her coronation on March 29, 1946. Helping her with her crown of golden daffodils were her attendants, Patricia McPherson (far right) of Tacoma and Maxine Barth of Puyallup. The coronation ceremony took place in Sumner. The three day Daffodil Festival began with the coronation and would end with the annual sailboat races. TPL-10152

Daffodils--Sumner; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Sumner); Dinwiddie, Gloria--Coronations; McPherson, Patricia; Barth, Maxine; Crowns;

Mayor Harry P. Cain crowns Gloria Dinwiddie of Sumner, Queen of the 1946 Daffodil Festival, with a crown made of golden daffodils. Attendants Patricia McPherson of Tacoma, right, and Maxine Barth of Puyallup look on. The little crown bearer is Caryn Chervenka, age 4. The coronation took place at Guill Hall in Sumner. The three day event began with the coronation and would end with the annual sailboat races. ALBUM 13.

Daffodils--Sumner; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Sumner); Dinwiddie, Gloria; Crowns; McPherson, Patricia; Barth, Maxine; Chervenka, Caryn; Cain, Harry P., 1906-1979; Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950;

The 1946 Daffodil Queen Gloria Dinwiddie (center) stands, with her attendants Patricia MacPherson, left, and Maxine Barth, on a daffodil covered platform that was built in front of the Tacoma totem pole. The 1946 Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival was the first to be held since 1942. The Daffodil committee originally did not plan to have a parade in 1946 because of a shortage of decorators and truck chassis. The Puyallup Chamber of Commerce stepped in to sponsor the parade, and managed to organize a top rate show in just a few short weeks. Although the court was presented to the people of Tacoma on this totem pole stage, the parade was only held in Puyallup along Meridian. (TNT 3/31/1946, pg. 1)

Daffodils--Tacoma; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1946 : Tacoma); Totem poles; Stages (Platforms);

A carriage pulled by twin butterflies is the Rhodes Bro. Department Store entry in the 1952 Daffodil Parade and winner of first place in the commercial division. More than one million sunshine yellow blossoms were used to decorate the 70 floats, many of them carrying out the 1952 "King Alfred" theme. The weather dawned warm and sunny, swelling Tacoma parade crowds to over 200,000. (TNT 4/6/1952, pg. 1)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1952 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Rhodes Brothers Department Store (Tacoma);

A float sponsored by Buck & Sons, Tractor & Implement Co., in the 1952 Daffodil Parade crosses down Pacific Ave. in front of the closed Riviera movie theatre. Two young women clad in shorts stand behind rototillers on this Daffodil covered float pulled by a tractor. Three young men perch on the narrow awning of the Riviera marquee to view the parade. Small children sit on the curb at the front of the crowd to watch the spectacle. The crowd estimated at 200,000, the largest in parade history, waited patiently for the parade which began 1/2 hour after scheduled start time.

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1952 : Tacoma); Festivals--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Buck & Sons Tractor & Implement Co. (Tacoma);

The annual Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival parade was a great success. With more than sixty entries in the Tacoma parade, the judges had a hard time selecting which ones should be sweepstakes winners. An estimated 600,000 daffodils were used on parade floats. View of the Titus Ford float, decorated by Fisk Flag and Decorating Company, four people ride in a daffodil covered Ford (T.N.T., 3/30/47, p. 1).

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1947 : Tacoma); Daffodils--Tacoma; Titus Motor Co. (Tacoma); Fisk Flag & Decorating Co. (Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Daffodil Parade, Times. The Junior Chamber of Commerce reminded the crowd that it will require research and education to "Fight to Conquer Cancer".

Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1948 : Tacoma); Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1940-1950; Daffodils--Tacoma; Tacoma Junior Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma); Cancer--Tacoma;

Carsten's float turns the corner from Broadway to 9th St. in the 1950 Daffodil parade. The parade route in Tacoma started from the line up area on 17th to Broadway, turned on 9th and continued down Pacific back to 17th. Crowds are in places ten people deep to watch the parade, with some standing on ladders for a better view. The best viewpoint belongs to those watching from the upper windows and the fire escape. A large group of people watch the parade from the top of Rhodes department store. To the right of the picture stands the Junior Chamber of Commerce's "Safety First" sign, noting the number of deathless days in Tacoma traffic.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Carstens Packing Co. (Tacoma);

Daffodil court members stand between the wings of floral doves in this tribute to the "American Way" produced by St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company, winner of the first place commercial entry award. A huge floral daffodil dominates the center of the float, followed by a fountain at the rear of the float. The float had just turned the corner from 9th onto Pacific. The Daffodil parade has been held annually since 1934 except for World War II years, and was suggested as a use for the blooms of the Puyallup Valleys' Daffodil bulb crop that were either thrown away or used as fertilizer before the parade's inception.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Seed Company, 805 Pacific Ave., sponsored this entry- a Sunbeam Greenhouse pulled by an automobile. The greenhouse is full of hot house flowers including some daffodils. The crowd on Pacific Ave. bundled up in coats, hats and blankets against the brisk spring weather look longingly at the warmth inside the greenhouse. Tacoma Seed Co. was also featured prominently at the Flower Show that was part of the Daffodil Festival celebration.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Tacoma Seed Co. (Tacoma);

The crowd disperses from the 900 block of Pacific Avenue after the completion of the enormously successful 1950 Daffodil Parade, leaving a large job for the street cleaning crew. One man descends from the Federal Finance Co. awning, where he had scrambled up to better view the parade. The Daffodil Festival and its parade were the brainchild of the cities of Tacoma, Puyallup and Sumner. A volunteer Board of Directors from these cities, representing Chambers of Commerce, businesses and growers, toiled throughout the year without pay to plan the festivities. Ski and yacht clubs planned events in conjunction, and professional growers worked with womens' garden clubs on the Flower Show. The whole Festival was ruled over by a teenage Daffodil Queen elected from one of the three sponsoring cities.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma);

This "hooked" and flower bedecked King Salmon is one half of the float sponsored by the Young Mens Improvement Club in the 1950 Daffodil Parade, the other half is the boat and fisherman pulling it down Pacific Avenue. This ingenious two part float was the third place winner in class 3. The float celebrated the dominance of King Salmon in Northwest commercial and game fishing. (TNT 4/2/1950, pg. A-8)

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Floats (Parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960;

This float by Tacoma City Lights carried Queen Nancy Jean Davis (at rear) of Sumner, Princess Audrey Rentsch (left) of Puyallup, and Princess Betty Hurlong (right) of Stadium High in Tacoma down Pacific Avenue during the 1950 Daffodil Parade. The float was decked with thousands of daffodils and tulips befitting the royal trio. The trio were very busy during the Festival and throughout the Spring attending functions and representing the Puyallup Valley area.

Celebrations--Tacoma; Festivals--Tacoma; Spectators--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival (1950 : Tacoma); Floats (parades)--Tacoma--1950-1960; Davis, Nancy Jean; Rentsch, Audrey; Hurlong, Betty;