The annual Daffodil parade has been canceled over coronavirus concerns
The annual Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade has been canceled for the first time since World War II.
Festival organizers decided to cancel the parade after Gov. Jay Inslee’s call Thursday to close all K-12 schools across Pierce, King and Snohomish counties.
The April 4 parade will not be rescheduled.
Ernie Ouellette, festival president, said coordination with Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and Orting, each of which host separate processions, requires months of work.
“Believe me, this is hard for me to say and hard for our dedicated festival volunteers to accept, but we all realize the health of our participants and the general public is our top priority,” Ouellette said in a statement.
The mayors of Puyallup, Julie Door, and of Orting, Josh Penner, have come out in support of the decision.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected Washington more than any other state. There have been more than 500 confirmed cases and more than 30 deaths in Washington.
Inslee, County Executive Bruce Dammeier, the City of Puyallup and Sumner have called for states of emergency. In addition to school closures, Inslee has prohibited all social gatherings of 250 people or more until the end of the month.
More than 100 floats, vehicles and organizations participate in the parade every year. An estimated 35,000 watch the parade pass through the four cities, Ouellette said.
The Daffodil Festival began in 1934 to celebrate the farming community in the Puyallup and Sumner area and has become a staple to commemorate the community and the blooming daffodils.
Twenty-three high schools across Pierce County choose a princess to represent them in the parade. A queen is crowned before the festival to “reign” over the festival activities. Dellinger said the Queen Coronation is still scheduled for March 22, but modified to meet the new guidelines for social events. Ouellette said the event might only include the princesses and their parents to meet the new mandate.
The Daffodil Foundation also has announced a rescheduled Royalty Luncheon for May 30.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 11:30 AM.
