The Daffodil Festival facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Daffodil Festival
Genre	Community Festival, Royalty Program
Dates	1926-present
Location(s)	Pierce County, Washington
Years active	83
Website	The Daffodil Festival instagram.com/daffodilfestival/

The Daffodil Festival is a big event in Pierce County, Washington. It includes a beautiful flower parade and a special program where young women are chosen to be part of the Royal Court. This program helps them become leaders. Every April, the amazing Grand Floral Parade takes place. Each year, the Royal Court works hard to promote education, community spirit, and volunteerism in the county. In 2012, the Royal Court was even named the "Official Ambassadors of Pierce County" by local leaders.

How the Festival Started

The Daffodil Festival began because of the daffodil bulb industry between 1922 and 1925. Before that, a problem with 'hop lice' ruined hop crops, and a law called Prohibition made it illegal to sell alcohol. The United States Department of Agriculture suggested that farmers in the Valley plant flower bulbs. This was because the area had a mild climate and perfect soil. Daffodils grown here bloom about 2-3 weeks earlier than in other places. This meant they were ready for the markets in the middle of winter.

The area quickly became known as the nation's 'bulb basket.' It produced half of all the daffodil bulbs in the country. It also grew over half of the nation's bulb iris and 80% of its tulips. About 300 different kinds of daffodils were grown in the Valley. The most popular one grown locally was the King Alfred.

Between 1928 and 1933, people held a "Bulb Sunday" and a special dinner. In 1926, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Orton welcomed leaders from 15 towns in western Washington. The Sumner Chamber of Commerce hosted the first Bulb Banquet in 1927. They even gave away free daffodils to visitors. More and more people drove to see the colorful fields each year. At one point, 30,000 cars visited.

A local photographer named Lee Merrill had a great idea. He suggested holding a parade to "take the daffodils to the people." He organized the first festival as we know it today in 1934. Lee decided that every festival needed a queen. While driving through Puyallup, he saw a young woman and asked her to be the queen. She said, "I'll have to ask my husband." Elizabeth Lee Wotten became the first Daffodil Queen at 28 years old. She had only four days to find a proper dress. She watched the parade in downtown Tacoma with her flower girl and princess.

Groups like the Chambers of Commerce from Tacoma, Puyallup, and Sumner supported the festival. In 1937, the Daffodil Festival became a non-profit organization. This means it uses money to help the festival, not to make a profit. It got money from donations and selling memberships.

The festival happens every year and covers all of Pierce County. It started with five cities: Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting. Fife joined in 1959. By the 1960s, the Daffodil Festival became the third-largest flower festival in the United States.

The first daffodils and narcissus were planted in 1910 by George Lawler. This was in Gardenville, which is now the Poodle Dog Restaurant in Fife. Many early bulbs came from England and other parts of Europe. Some even cost $75 per bulb! In 1911, Lawler bought 9,000 bulbs and planted them by hand. These plantings grew to 15 acres in North Puyallup. Eventually, they reached about 100 acres near the Nisqually River. Other early growers included Charles and Ed Orton, Frank Chernenko, H.F. Groningen, and L.M. Hatch. The biggest growers were Harold Knutson in Sumner, Van Lierop in Puyallup, and Wally Staazt at Orting. The best time to see the flowers is from March 15 to April 1.

Even though many daffodil farms are gone now, Pierce County still has new ideas and a strong community spirit. The Festival now has a royalty program. It chooses young women from 23 high schools in the County. They receive scholarships and improve their public speaking and community service skills.

The Grand Floral Parade

2012 Daffodil Festival Royal Court

The Grand Floral Parade travels through Pierce County, Washington. It has a special feature: it goes through four cities in one day! These cities are Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting.

The idea of "four parades in four cities in one day" is unique to the Daffodil Festival. The parade happens every year on a Saturday in April.

Meet the Royal Court

The Festival has a special scholarship program for its royalty. This program supports amazing young women from 23 high schools across Pierce County.

Becoming a Princess

To become a candidate, students must be in their senior year of high school. They need a minimum GPA of 3.2. They also cannot have children or visible tattoos. Schools hold a selection process that includes an interview, a speech, and an impromptu question. Judges are chosen by the school's Daffodil Festival Coordinator. These judges follow guidelines from the festival. Some past judges have been community members, local TV hosts, town politicians, or past Daffodil Festival Royalty. Judges are chosen to be fair and not know any of the candidates from that school. They use a special scoring system. Interviews might cover the festival's history, community history, schoolwork, and volunteer work. One candidate is chosen from each school to be a Daffodil Princess in the Royal Court.

What the Princesses Do

In past years, members of the Daffodil Festival Royal Court have volunteered up to 200 hours each during their year. They have appeared at many events. These include the Grand Floral Parade, the Queen's Coronation, SeaFair, and other parades. They also attend civic events, grand openings, and dog shows. They volunteer at places like the Emergency Food Network and food banks. They also help World Vision and charity events. They visit malls, libraries for reading events, and Boys & Girls Clubs to mentor kids. During the pandemic in 2020, many appearances moved online. For example, they read books for children on their Facebook Page.

In 2012, the Royal Court was named the "Official Ambassadors of Pierce County" by the County Executive and the Pierce County Council.

Thanks to the kindness of the Daffodil Festival Scholarship Foundation and its supporters, each member of the royal court receives a scholarship. The amounts are different for the Princesses and the Queen.

High Schools Involved

As of 2019, these high schools take part:

• 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)
• 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)
• Spanaway Lake High School (Spanaway)
• Stadium High School (Tacoma)
• Sumner High School (Sumner)
• Washington High School (Parkland)
• White River High School (Buckley)
• Woodrow Wilson High School (Tacoma)

Past Daffodil Queens

Each year in March, the 23 princesses take part in the Daffodil Festival Queen's Coronation. One of them is crowned the Daffodil Festival Queen.

• 2020: NO QUEEN SELECTED (due to pandemic)
• 2019: Queen Katie Gilbert (White River)
• 2018: Queen Allie Brooks (Lincoln)
• 2017: Queen Marin Sasaki (Orting)
• 2016: Queen Emily Oliver (Spanaway Lake)
• 2015: Queen Ashley Becker (Bonney Lake)
• 2014: Queen Marissa Modestowicz (Emerald Ridge)
• 2013: Queen McKenna Erhardt (Rogers)
• 2012: Queen Sarah Karamoko (Henry Foss)
• 2011: Queen Claire Flemming (Curtis HS)
• 2010: Queen Annie Jeong (Stadium High School)
• 2009: Queen Melanie Stambaugh (Emerald Ridge)
• 2008: Queen Olivia Anderson (Cascade Christian)
• 2007: Queen
• 2006: Queen
• 2005: Queen Jessica DeWitt (Mt Tahoma)
• 2004: Queen Romelynn Eleno (Lakes)
• 2003: Queen Angie Voiles (Sumner)
• 2002: Queen Katrina Woldseth (Franklin Pierce)
• 2001: Queen Tara Faw (Orting)
• 2000: Queen Tiye Smith Henry Foss H.S.
• 1999: Queen Jeanna Little Sumner H.S.
• 1998: Queen Allison Porter Curtis H.S
• 1997: Queen Jennifer Brown Sumner H.S.
• 1996: Queen Hillary Faulk Sumner H.S.
• 1995: Queen Cynthia Gee Henry Foss H.S.
• 1994: Queen Julie Frye Rogers H.S.
• 1993: Queen Erin Haynie Rogers H.S.
• 1992: Queen Brandi Rector Orting H.S.
• 1991: Queen Ensung Kelly Nah Wilson H.S.
• 1990: Queen Kelly Parkhurst Fife H.S.
• 1989: Queen Lea Snider Puyallup H.S.
• 1988: Queen Heidi Johnson Curtis H.S.
• 1987: Queen Deborah Harlan Puyallup H.S.
• 1986: Queen Kristin Macrander Lakes H.S.
• 1985: Queen Jaymee Marty Clover Park H.S.
• 1984: Queen Jeanette Hopkins Gig Harbor H.S.
• 1983: Queen Jeanene Dryer Bethel H.S.
• 1982: Queen Sandy Furtaw Bethel H.S.
• 1981: Queen Cindy Kovalenko Sumner H.S.
• 1980: Queen Robin Asbjorsen Puyallup H.S.
• 1979: Queen Paula Nelson Curtis H.S.
• 1978: Queen Janice Ash Wilson H.S.
• 1977: Queen Carol Glenn Bethel H.S.
• 1976: Queen Renee Hopp Rogers H.S.
• 1975: Queen Wendy Van Noy Franklin Pierce H.S.
• 1974: Queen Lori Webber Wilson H.S.
• 1973: Queen Sherri Murraey Fife H.S.
• 1972: Queen Paula Achziger Wilson H.S.
• 1971: Queen Jean Fink Lakes H.S.
• 1970: Queen Shelly Grobey Mt Tahoma H.S.
• 1969: Queen Linda Michael Puyallup H.S.
• 1968: Queen Cheryl Lamka Stadium H.S.
• 1967: Queen Carol Parcheta Franklin Pierce H.S.
• 1966: Queen Susan Bona Wilson H.S.
• 1965: Queen Kay Bryson Sumner H.S.
• 1964: Queen Karen Goettling Puyallup H.S.
• 1963: Queen Gail Belknap Mt Tahoma H.S.
• 1962: Queen Sharon Silvernail Orting H.S.
• 1961: Queen Carmel Mackin Puyallup H.S.
• 1960: Queen Diane Harkness Lincoln H.S.
• 1959: Queen Carol Mills Franklin Pierce H.S.
• 1958: Queen Gretchen Brockhoff Stadium H.S.
• 1957: Queen Janice Methven Lincoln H.S.
• 1956: Queen Margaret Strachan Stadium H.S.
• 1955: Queen Elvera Sommmer Puyallup H.S.
• 1954: Queen Mary Carlile Sumner H.S.
• 1953: Queen Joan Marie Dennis Puyallup H.S.
• 1952: Queen Eva Beattie Sumner H.S.
• 1951: Queen Elaine Chipps Puyallup H.S.
• 1950: Queen Nancy Davis Sumner H.S.
• 1949: Queen Mary Jean Grooper Puyallup H.S.
• 1948: Queen Doreen Moody Sumner H.S.
• 1947: Queen Joan Eidson Puyallup H.S.
• 1946: Queen Gloria Dinwiddle Sumner H.S.
• 1945: No Parade
• 1944: No Parade
• 1943: No Parade
• 1942: Queen Shirley Neiman Puyallup H.S.
• 1941: Queen Pauline Martin Sumner H.S.
• 1940: Queen Marge Roscoe Puyallup H.S.
• 1939: Queen Bette Lee Sumner H.S.
• 1938: Queen Bliss Lundrigan Puyallup H.S.
• 1937: Queen Dorothy Lyons Sumner H.S.
• 1936: Queen Helen Edgerton Puyallup H.S.
• 1935: Queen Margaret Thomas Sumner H.S.
• 1934: Queen Elizabeth Lee Wooten Puyallup H.S.