For the 79th consecutive year, the Daffodil Princesses of Pierce County are hard at work. This time, though, the festival will come with some updated elements.

“We want them to be the best that they can be,” Festival President Susan McGuire said.

For starters, the festival welcomed White River High School to the program, bringing the number of Daffodil Princesses to 24. And to kick off the season, all the princesses were whisked away to a weekend retreat with no cellphones.

“It was a fantastic event,” said Steve James, executive director of the Daffodil Festival. “They really got to know each other quickly.”

James was thrilled with how fast the girls formed bonds, building relationships that will serve them well during the coming months as they work to hone their skills and to reach out to the community.

The festival will continue last year’s efforts to establish itself as a year-round event, not just a parade. The princesses will appear at various events in the coming months, standing in to help organizations and community members get out their messages.

“We’re placing more importance on the fact that they should behave like ambassadors of their community,” McGuire said.

To that end, Miss Washington spoke to the princesses about representing the community.

“Having Miss Washington come and speak to them was very eye-opening to the girls,” James said. “As she was telling them about the role that they would play, you could see it in their eyes as it dawned on them that they were being elevated to the roll of local celebrities.”

James is excited to develop stronger bonds with cities and community organizations this year.

“We are offering our role as ambassadors to help with the community programs and to promote them,” he said.

Daffodil princesses will appear in libraries, where they will read to children, and in Boys & Girls clubs, where they will help out with after-school activities.

Those events help to prepare the princesses for the future, giving them valuable tools for success, McGuire said.

In turn, the princesses can advance the goals of the festival’s community partners, such as the South Hill Mall and the Puyallup Fair.

“They’re excited to be a part of it,” James said.

McGuire also is excited for the festival’s renewed partnership with the fair. She said it’s great to have two long-time Pierce County organizations working together.

James sees more variety in the princesses, and he said that mirrors the diversity within Pierce County. English is not the first language for three of them, and one is a wrestler.

James said the festival is moving forward nicely.

“We’re going to go from the momentum from last year and just continue,” he said.

IMPORTANT FESTIVAL DATES

-Princess Promenade: Saturday.

-Queen’s Coronation: March 16

-Daffodil Days: February 25-26, South Hill Mall.

-Daffodil Parade: April 14.

Meredith Lawrence is a freelance reporter for The Herald.