SEQUIM – Flowers – blazing yellow, hot pink, of course lavender – were among the big winners in Saturday’s 112th Irrigation Festival Grand Parade through downtown Sequim.
The Grand Sweepstakes award, aka first place overall among the 132 entries, went to the Puyallup Daffodil Festival float.
Amid a huge saxophone, drums, guitar, piano and built flowers, Daffodil Queen Michelle Wood, of Sumner, Pierce County, danced and waved.
Marysville’s scarlet-clad Strawberry Festival float won the second-place President’s Award, and the third-place Governor’s Award went to Port Townsend’s Rhody Festival float.
The fourth-place Mayor’s Award was presented to the McCleary Bear Festival float, which carried a collection of stuffed bears promoting the Bear Festival, which happens on the second weekend of July in McCleary, Skamania County.
In fifth place, taking the Chairman’s Award: the Clallam County Fair float, which featured sequin-encrusted cowboys and -girls moving to the strains of “The Twist.”
In the non-commercial float category, first-place honors went to the Sequim Lavender Festival display; the Mexican Folk Dancers of Sequim won second place with their dancers and flags, and third place was awarded to the Happy Tymer Clowns.
Among the commercial floats, Bekkevar Logging won first place, while John L. Scott Real Estate of Sequim took second and The Lodge at Sherwood Village won third place.
The first-place Judges’ Special prize was awarded to “Fathoms O’ Fun,” the float bearing an octopus driving a team of seahorses to promote Port Orchard’s July celebration. The Judges’ second prize went to the Forks Fourth of July float; and the Hoquiam Loggers’ Play Day float won third prize.
