DAFFODIL QUEEN’S CORONATION

The Daffodil Queen’s Coronation is a celebration event for the Daffodil Festival and the Princesses of the Royal Court. On Saturday, April 1, beginning at 7:00 pm, at the Pantages in downtown Tacoma, a Queen will be selected to reign over the many Daffodil Festival activities that take place throughout the Festival year. The twenty-three young women participating in the Royalty program have each been selected by their schools and communities to represent the Festival and Pierce County, traveling throughout the Pacific Northwest. During the Coronation, each school’s Princess is judged on academic standing, personality, attitude, speaking ability, appearance, sociability, content of their speech, Festival awareness, and impromptu speaking.

Come support our Daffodil Princesses: Brianna Bryant (BHS), Serena Bolden (GKHS), and Mabel Thompson (SLHS). Visit http://thedaffodilfestival.org/events/queens-coronation for more information, and  ttp://www.broadwaycenter.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/413/-/queen-scoronation   to purchase tickets to this event.

“DAFFODIL PARADISE” FESTIVAL EVENTS

Bethel will be well represented on Saturday, April 8, when our float, Daffodil princesses, and several of our school’s bands participate in the Eighty-Fourth Annual Grand Floral Street Parades in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting. These parades are the highlight of Daffodil Festival Week, consisting of over 180 entries, including floats and marching bands. Decorated with fresh-cut daffodils numbering in the thousands, the focus of the floats this year is the theme:

Daffodil Paradise! A very special thank you to recently-retired and amazing volunteer Dodie Raden for all her hard work to design the Bethel float.

The Tacoma Grand Floral Parade begins at 10:15 am, running along Pacific Avenue from 11th Street to South 21st Street. The Puyallup Parade starts at the intersection of 7th Avenue SW and 5th Street SW and continues through town down Meridian, past the City Park, and ends at 4th Ave SE. The start time for the Puyallup parade is 12:45 pm due to televised coverage on UPN-11 beginning at 1:00 pm. The Sumner parade starts at 2:30 pm at Kincaid Avenue and Main Street, and ends just past Sumner High School at Lewis Ave. The Orting parade begins at 5:00 pm at Bridge Street and Washington Streets and ends at the north end of town. Orting is the last stop for the Grand Floral Street Parade, and although small in size, the city and its citizens go all out with a barbecue in the park, and the beautiful valley and mountain scenery. Visit the official Daffodil Festival website at http://thedaffodilfestival.org.

The Daffodil Festival’s Fifty-Fifth Annual Junior Parade will be Saturday, April 16, at 10:00 am. It is hosted by the Proctor District of Tacoma and is geared to children and encourages fun, creativity, and partnership for the young people of the area. Costumes, pets, music, and non-motorized floats make this parade a special event. For more information visit http://thedaffodilfestival.org/events/parades/junior-parade.