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Local high school girls are introduced as princesses at the Daffodil Festival’s Princess Promenade
Chris Albert
Twenty-three local high school girls lined up outside of an exhibition hall at the Tacoma Convention Center anticipating their introduction as this year’s Daffodil royalty. The princesses in their yellow gowns were introduced to hundreds of community members at this year’s Princess Promenade on Feb. 22. The ceremony culminated with each Princess receiving their official tiara, a golden daffodil and a sword tapping ceremony that makes their royalty status official.
Each were accompanied by their educator of the year selection and a Daffodilian during their initial introduction.
“It’s something that has gone from a garden party to a county-wide festival,” said 2008 Daffodil Festival President Ron Simchen of the 75 year-old festival.
The theme, “Remembering your first Daffodil Parade,” takes a look back at the traditions of the festival and what it has meant to so many people, he said.
“I wasn’t even a year old when I saw my first parade, supposedly,” Simchen said.
But a year hasn’t gone by where he hasn’t made his way to the parade to see floats go through the streets of Pierce County communities.
“That’s the thing,” he said. “Everybody has their own stories.”
For the girls participating it’s a chance to make new memories. They have been preparing for festival events for months and meeting every Saturday for the past two months to perfect their public speaking, table manners and a song and dance routine that they first performed in public to the those in attendance at the promenade.
“They are so ready,” said Queen Mom Carrie Swanlund.
The dance routine mixes television theme songs from throughout the decades with festival swagger.
Adding to a tradition of performances through the years.
The promenade ceremony follows set traditions to mark the Princesses first official public appearance.
“Tradition has become very heavy in the things we do,” Simchen said.
For some schools like Cascade Christian High School in Puyallup, the festival marks establishing new traditions in their first year of participation.
“I am very curious to see and discover what they’ve learned,” said Naomi Warren, Cascade Christian’s Daffodil coordinator. “It’s been a year of firsts. It’s definitely perfect.”
For others the promenade is another addition to a long-lasting festival tradition.
Sherry Stevens has seen the festival from all angles. First as a princess in 1978, then as a parent when her step-daughter became a princess in 2004 and now as a Daffodilian. The nearly all-volunteer festival comes together every year through the dedication of Daffodilians and other community members.
“The girls get so many opportunities through this that helps them later in life,” she said.
When she went away to college her Daffodil Festival participation evaporated, but years later when her step-daughter thought about participating she encouraged her to try.
“I remembered the great experiences I had,” Stevens said. “They have a year ahead of them that they’ll never forget.”
But memories of the festival go even further back. As a child, she remembers going with her grandfather to an old furniture store in Tacoma to watch the parade from a favorite vantage point.
“Any Daffodil Parade is special,” she said. “It sticks with them forever.”
Although 75 years is a significant mark in the festival history, it is as unique as any year, Swanlund said.
“Every year is the girl’s year,” she said. “It’s a new year every year.”