Latest news with #SpokaneLilacFestival
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Queens, WWII veterans, plenty of high school bands bring cheer to tens of thousands at Lilac parade
May 17—Classic cars, high school bands and queens and princesses meandered through downtown Spokane on Saturday night for the 87th rendition of the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade. Draped in purple dresses, University High School senior Raegan Miller and the royal court waved to the crowd as the exquisite float they stood on proceeded through the downtown streets. "I think it's just really awesome that we're here bringing many communities together and showing back the love that Spokane has always given to us," Miller said as the parade units staged on the Washington Street Bridge minutes before the parade. Miller was shocked when she was crowned queen earlier this spring, saying every one of the six princesses who joined her on the float Saturday deserved to be queen. "It was honestly crazy when I found out I won because I was just so appreciative and I knew that all the girls beside me were going to help me get through this and help me be the best leader I can be," she said. Miller, who will attend Saint Mary's College in California after graduation, said the past few months have been fun with plenty of memories created. "It's been super busy, but I love being busy," she said. "I love making new connections with new leaders in this community. These girls, we've grown really close together and we became really good friends over these past few months." Nearby, Valleyfest royalty Aimee Cook, Chloe Nelson and Makenna Babb were also ready to hit the streets on their float. Valleyfest, held in September, is Spokane Valley's community festival. Cook, who is Miss Spokane Valley, said she enjoyed connecting with the other royalty from the region. Nelson and Babb said they were excited to see the children lining the streets at the parade. "Seeing the little girls always makes me so happy, and I love seeing them and making a good positive impact on them," said Nelson, who is student body president at Spokane Valley Tech. Bill Beckstrom, a U.S. Navy World War II veteran, rode in an army green 1944 Jeep with two other World War II veterans. Beckstrom said he served aboard the USS Curtiss and survived a Japanese pilot who barreled his plane into their ship. Dozens of his fellow comrades died, however, and the ship had to return to San Diego because of the strike. Beckstrom, a 98-year-old Spokane Valley resident, said his family came to watch him in the parade. Beckstrom also said he looked forward to seeing the youngsters at the parade. "I get a kick out of the kids," he said. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets to take in the floats and bands. Alison Long was one of the attendees. She sat in chairs with her grandson and mother, Maryann Canterbury. They came to see family members, one of whom is Miss Davenport, on the Davenport float. Canterbury, 73, said she hasn't been to the Lilac parade in decades. She said she loves the lights and the bands that play. "I always enjoy the sparkle," she said.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rain or shine, tens of thousands of people expected to take in Lilac Festival in downtown Spokane
May 16—It could rain on the Lilac parade Saturday night in downtown Spokane as parade procession numbers and, hopefully, the number of attendees inch closer to pre-pandemic levels, said Dave Weatherred, director of parades. "We are definitely ready," Weatherred said. "We hope the weather cooperates, but even if it doesn't, we had a bit of a rain shower last year, and everything we were told was people had a great time anyway." The 87th annual Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade starts at 7:30 p.m. at Washington Street and Spokane Falls Boulevard. The procession heads south on Washington before zigzagging east and west in a northerly direction until it finishes on Spokane Falls Boulevard near Post Street. A low pressure system moving through the region will bring about one-tenth of an inch of rain from late Friday night to late Saturday night to the Spokane area, according to Antoinette Serrato, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Spokane. Most showers are expected to fall Saturday afternoon, she said. Isolated thunderstorms that could bring heavy rainfall and high winds are also possible Saturday afternoon and evening, Serrato said. Rain and even a shooting inside P.M. Jacoy's convenience store that injured two people happened during last year's parade. The parade was paused and rerouted after the shooting. Weatherred said police officers, who were already spread out along the parade route, responded to the shooting in a hurry and collaborated with parade officials. A person at each section of the parade has a radio with them, so they were able to communicate quickly about next steps following the shooting, he said. "It showed, I believe, that we have some really good policies in place," Weatherred said. Spokane Police Department Officer Daniel Strassenberg, spokesman for the department, called the shooting an "anomaly." He said police are well-versed on where resources need to be and are always prepared. "We're always staffed appropriately to prepare for contingencies if they are to arise," Strassenberg said. Weatherred said the parade will have almost 160 "units." The largest Lilac parade was about 200 units, he said. The units include over 5,000 marching band members who will travel as far away as Seattle to perform in the procession. He estimated 60,000 to 80,000 people will watch the parade, but those numbers could dwindle if storms roll in. About 80,000 people watched before the pandemic. "It's slowly been building back up to the size it was before COVID," Weatherred said. He encouraged attendees to come early and prepare to park on the outskirts of the parade route and walk a bit for viewing.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Local and West Side schools earn awards in Junior Lilac Parade middle school marching band contest
May 11—Almost 1,000 students in over 50 marching bands took to the downtown streets Saturday in the annual Junior Lilac Parade, some of them finishing decorated ahead of the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade the coming weekend. The competition of middle school marching bands kicks off the 87th annual Spokane Lilac Festival, coinciding with the purple blooms that peak this time of year, meant to honor service members and uplift kids in the area. Several judges sprinkled themselves along the parade route to rank the student bands and dance groups in the parade. Students spanning from Spokane to Colbert to Mukilteo, on the West Side, earned awards. The group from Mountainside Middle School, of the Mead School District, got the sweepstakes award, securing them a place to march in the larger parade on Saturday. In the large band category, which counts groups with over 90 musicians, Northwood Middle School, also of Mead, took first place. They were followed by the band from Olympic View Mukilteo School District in second place and a band with students from Cheney and Westwood Middle Schools. The small band category highlights groups of fewer than 90 musicians. Greenacres Middle School of the Central Valley School District took first in the category. Second and third place went to bands from Mead's Highland Middle School and the private Valley Christian School. In awards for dance, Sacajawea Middle School of Spokane Public Schools earned the highest accolades, followed by Olympic View Middle School from Mukilteo. Elena Perry's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
