Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival
The Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival is an annual spring celebration held in Washington's picturesque Puyallup Valley, known for its stunning display of daffodils. The festival typically kicks off in April when the blooms are at their peak, drawing attention to the region's rich floral heritage. Sponsored by civic leaders from Puyallup, Sumner, Orting, Fife, and Spanaway, the festival features a variety of events that celebrate the local culture and agricultural legacy, including the coronation of a "daffodil queen," a grand parade, and various sports competitions.
The Puyallup Valley is recognized for its ideal conditions for bulb production, significantly contributing to the state’s reputation as a leader in the flower industry. The inaugural festival was held in 1926, and since then, it has evolved from a modest garden party into a vibrant community event that attracts visitors from across the region. Today, millions of daffodils are shipped annually from the valley, continuing the tradition of floral excellence that began in the early 20th century. The festival not only highlights the beauty of the daffodils but also fosters community spirit and local pride, making it a cherished springtime event in Washington.
Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival
Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival
This is a movable event
Washington's Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival takes place early every spring. The 18-mile-long Puyallup Valley is located east of Tacoma, Washington, between Puget Sound and snowcapped Mount Rainier. To draw attention to the tens of millions of daffodils that cover the valley in spring, civic leaders in Tacoma and the valley communities of Puyallup, Sumner, Orting, Fife, and Spanaway sponsor the festival each year. It customarily begins in April, when the blooms are at their best. Besides the magnificent fields of daffodils, dozens of events contribute to the success of the festivities. They have included the coronation of a “daffodil queen,” a grand floral parade, an Arabian horse show, a marine regatta, and track, field, and other sports competitions.
The state of Washington has a strong flower industry, thanks to ideal soil, moisture, mild winters, and other growing conditions together with innovations in the use of machinery in the fields. The state produces a significant percentage of the nation's daffodil bulbs. A large portion of the state's acreage in bulb production can be found in the Puyallup Valley, where the bulb industry started as early as 1910 when George Lawler made the first, albeit small-scale, commercial plantings. The United States Department of Agriculture examined the valley in 1923 to seek a substitute crop for the area's hop production, which was hard hit with the advent of Prohibition. Acting upon the department's recommendation that the region would be an excellent place for extensive bulb production, W. H. Paulhams of Sumner summoned a meeting of all persons eager to implement the suggestion.
The year 1925 is generally given as the start of Puyallup Valley's fame as a bulb center. In addition to the sale of bulbs, there was a large market for forcers (bulbs placed in hothouses and forced into early spring bloom) and for cut flowers (used for spring and Easter promotions, especially in department stores). Today, despite some foreign competition, millions of daffodils are shipped every year from the Puyallup Valley.
The first Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival was held on April 6, 1926, at the estate of Charles Orton, near Sumner, under the auspices of the Sumner Garden Club. Civic leaders from 15 nearby towns attended the garden party, held amid many varieties of blooming daffodils. The following year the Sumner chamber of commerce sponsored a bulb banquet and, with help from the Tacoma and Puyallup chambers of commerce, chose a daffodil queen from one of the valley communities. As visitors from Tacoma and Seattle flocked to visit the blooming fields on weekends in late March and early April, the modest festivities became well known. Representatives from the participating communities met in 1934, creating a steering committee to form a more ambitious program of events. From these small beginnings the present festival was born in 1934. It remains an active and popular event.