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. 1908. McClintock's World Famous So. Tacoma Band. Men in costumes in parade on So. Union Ave. The vehicles and men cover from the sidewalk into the street. C.S. (Carl S.) Enger's hardware store, 5401 So. Union Ave., in background.

Brewery Workers Union No. 328 gathered en masse on Pacific Avenue, north of City Hall, on September 6, 1915 to proudly march in the big Labor Day parade. This was the last hurrah for brewery workers before Prohibition began in Washington State in January of 1916. Tacoma had basically shut down with city, county, major businesses and industrial plants closed for the day. Union workers of all sorts - blacksmiths, machinists, boilermakers, cooks, bridge workers, pressmen, painters, carpenters and longshoremen, to name just a few, would be participating in the march that led from Pacific Ave., Broadway and Sixth Ave. to conclude at Wright Park. Thousands of spectators were anticipated. (TDL 9-6-1915)

Parades & processions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Labor unions--Tacoma--1910-1920; Brewery Workers Union No. 328 (Tacoma);

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.

Governor Clarence D. Martin rides in an open car for the Labor Day parade in 1934. Gov. Martin sits on the left side of the rear seat of the automobile, beside him sits Mayor George Smitley's wife dressed in white; the man on the right is unidentified. Tacoma Mayor Smitley rides next to the driver in the front seat. The group rides past the Bostwick Building, 755-71 Saint Helens Ave., at this time occupied by William Whetstone, the Credit Dentist. In the background, streetcars are parked to accomodate the passing of the parade. Later the same group would oversee the dedication of the relocated and reconstructed Fort Nisqually at Point Defiance.

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)

This undated photograph featuring the Corner Club Girls rolling down Broadway at 9th Street is most probably of the historical pageant parade presented Labor Day 1934. The costumed lovelies are from Pioneer Days and are festooned in ruffles, bonnets and parasols. The Tacoma Corner Club was formed by Mrs. Percy C. Smith who served as advisor and was fondly referred to as "Mother Smith." The women of the Tacoma Corner Club hosted dinners, dances, plays, took classes in bookkeeping, first aid, shorthand, the Bible, among others, and supported one another. They presented a flag to the State Historical Society in 1933. The original club was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1917. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Parade marching north on Broadway. Group of U. S. Army soldiers, in uniform, are at the corner of 9th and Broadway. They are being followed by group of men from the U. S. Navy in their dress whites. Buildings include: Pantages Theater, Illington Hotel. Sign hangs from corner building for Malstom's Drugs. TPL-7060

Military parades & ceremonies--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pantages Theater (Tacoma)

Young band members sit in a long truck that is decorated with bunting and an American flag. There is a streetcar next to the truck. Photograph was taken on Pacific Ave. Shaw Supply Co. sign in background. TPL-7061

Floats (parades)--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Copy of customer print. A parade of trucks filled with alder products paused on an unidentified street in this Marvin D. Boland photograph. They participated in the American Legion patriotic parade in 1920. "Save Alder Timber" signs were prominently displayed on top of the trucks and cars. Buffelen Lumber & Mfg. Co., established in Tacoma in the early 20th century, wanted to demonstrate how valuable alder timber was and how many ways the wood could be used. Rather than buying hardwood out-of-state, it would benefit companies to purchase the useful alder within the state's borders, thereby helping out the local economy. Buffelen announced plans in July of 1920 to build a $100,000 plant on the Hylebos for the purpose of making hardwood finish from alder logs. Photograph ordered by Paxport Mills on March 8, 1979. ( D169349-1) (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-11-20, B-6)

Parades--Tacoma--1920-1930; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1920-1930; Signs (Notices); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1920-1930;