Origin of the Daffodil Festival

The Daffodil Festival, for all intents and purposes, was born on April 6, 1926 when Mr. And Mrs. Charles W. Orton were hosts to civic leaders from 125 towns in Western Washington. The Orton’s lived in rural Sumner and opened up their home for a garden party. The garden party was arranged so the guests could see the many varieties of daffodils in bloom in and around their estate. Among the many guests were the Mayors from Seattle and Tacoma. Major General Robert Alexander, Commander at Fort Lewis, brought a military band and a group of officers and their ladies from the Army post. After this first garden party, the event became an annual affair.

In 2013, the Daffodil Festival was 80 years old, and there has been a parade every year since 1934, with the exception of the war years of 1943, 1944 and 1945. History from the Daffodil Valley Times

According to Pete Andrews, who published the Sumner News Index for many years, the Daffodil Festival really started in the early 1920’s with what was called the Steelhead Banquet, sponsored by the Sumner Chamber of Commerce. It always was a springtime event, and the tables for the banquet always were decorated with masses of golden yellow daffodils. Around 1926, participants decided to switch the name from Steelhead to Daffodil Banquet.

In it’s day, the Daffodil Parade was the third-largest floral festival of it’s kind. Although it has fallen from this vaulted position, it’s still one of the largest in the country, and still is one of the most welcome springtime events in this area. The Junior Daffodil Parade History

The first Junior Daffodil Parade was held in downtown Tacoma in 1961 and stayed there until it moved to The Proctor district in 1991.