Lilac Parade through the years
The 2017 Armed Forces Torchlight Parade will be held on Saturday evening, May 20, 2017. Take a look back at the Lilac Parade through the years.
Section:Picture story
This old stagecoach was put into service to carry Spokane’s Princess Lilac and her court in a downtown parade in 1940, marking the opening of the city’s lilac festival. Princess Lilac, Shannon Mahoney, is seated in the rear. The title Princess Lilac was later changed to Lilac Queen.
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The Missoula Sheriff’s Posse passes the intersection of First and Post in the 1951 Lilac Festival Parade. Dressed in western attire, the riders were astride splendidly trained handsome mounts.
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The Aplets-Cotlets float from Cashmere, Wash. grabs the crowd’s attention during 1952 Lilac Parade. The float was the grand sweepstakes award winner
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Spectators line the streets of downtown Spokane in1952 for the annual Armed Forces Day Lilac Parade. The Navy supply depot float, which feature Armed Forces Queen Agnes Blane was one of the crowd favorites.
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A huge crowd that packs Riverside Avenue for the Armed Forces Day Lilac Parade in 1952.
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This is a photo of the Lilac Court float in the Lilac Parade in 1953. Gail Jackson sits on the throne as Lilac Queen. Princesses Lora Lee Wolfe and Carol Jean Smith are seated in front of her.
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Smokey the Bear helps promote the “Keep Washington Green” campaign during the Lilac Parade in 1955. “Keep Green” began in Washington state in 1940 as a fire safety campaign. Smokey the Bear won best non-commercial float in the parade.
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The Apple Blossom Festival queen, Jewel Brumbaugh, rides on the float entry from the Wenatchee Chamber of Commerce during the Lilac Parade in 1957. The crowd for the 1957 parade was estimated at 40,000.
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The theme of the 1963 Lilac Parade on May 18 was Our Fabulous Northwest and Lt. Gen. James E. Briggs from Randolph Airforce Base in Texas was the grand marshall. This was the same year that the Lilac Torch was created as the symbol of the Lilac Festival. The Lewis and Clark marching band is pictured in the foreground followed by the Lewis and Clark Ti-Girls.
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Forty years ago the Washington National Guard offered this float for the Lilac Parade in 1964. The theme was “In Service to Our City and State,” and it won the Armed Forces Sweepstakes category with its revolving diamond pictured on the back of the float.
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Karen Stratton smiles in a bear hug from “Grizzly Adams” aka Dan Haggerty during the Lilac Festival in 1977.
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Mascots from Rogers High School tease the crowd with candy during the Lilac Parade in 1995.
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Underdog gets ready for the Lilac Parade as the balloon is inflated South of the Opera House in 1997.
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Honorary Grand Marshall Vernon Baker waves to the crowd lining Sprague Avenue during the Lilac Parade in 1997.
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The Lilac Royalty opens the Torchlight Parade as they pass over the Washington Street bridge out of Riverfront Park just as the sun sets in 1999.
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Post Falls High School cheerleaders perform for the crowd gathered Saturday in downtown Spokane for the 2000 Global Credit Union Armed Forces Torchlight Parade.
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Lilac princess, Megan Gentry, from Mt. Spokane High School plants a little kiss on the cheek of shy five-year-old Angelo Ferraro after the two shared conversation Saturday evening before the Lilac Parade in 2002.
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Vicki Tollefson of the Mead High School Dance Team leads the 34-member group south on Washington during Saturday night’s Lilac parade in 2002.
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Queen Courtney Bronowski, right, and Princess Tawny Couron of Rosalia get their feet a dancin’ to 50’s music at Saturday night’s Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in 2003.
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People wait to get a view of the 2005 Lilac Armed Forces Lilac Parade in downtown Spokane.
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Lilac princesses, left to right, Lindsey Cressey, Nicole Holland, Rachael Roig and Courtney Millan and Lilac queen Jamie Pacello wave to the crowd during the Lilac Parade in 2005.
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Veterans from Fairchild Air Force Base march in the Lilac Parade in 2005.
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Spectators give heartfelt applause to the veterans as the pass by during the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Saturday evening, May 20, 2006.
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Spokane’s Lilac queen, Zanie McMillan, 17, waves to the crown during the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Saturday May 20, 2006.
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Eva Kenney wears traditional clothing from Peru while marching with Latinas de Spokane (Latin Women of Spokane) in the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in Spokane, Wash., Saturday, May 18, 2007.
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Lilac Princess Alyssa Robinson of Freeman High School blurts out “This is it!” as the official Lilac royalty float begins to move on the Washington Street Bridge over the Spokane River at the beginning of the 2008 Lilac Parade, Saturday, May 17, 2008, in downtown Spokane.
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Talia Spini leaps into the arms of her boyfriend, Michael Pole, during the 2008 Lilac Parade on Main Avenue on Saturday, May 17, 2008, in downtown Spokane.
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Senior Airman Devon Asmus salutes from the sidelines as the flag passes during the 2009 Armed Forces Torchlight Parade, Saturday, May 16, 2009, in downtown Spokane.
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Emily Spillar, right, and Bailey Wiedner cheer for the Lilac royalty float carrying Lilac princess Alexis Green, the sister of a friend, during the 2009 Armed Forces Torchlight Parade, Saturday, May 16, 2009, in downtown Spokane.
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Biplanes fly over the Lilac Festival’s Armed Forces Torchlight Parade, Saturday, May 15, 2010.
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Army National Guard Spc. Gerardo Najera, left and Spc. Ben Miller fire off a 75mm howitzer to signal the start of the Spokane Lilac Festival’s Armed Forces Torchlight Parade, Saturday, May 15, 2010.
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On Cashmere’s “Dancing in the Steets” float, the royalty court perfoms a dance routine during Saturday’s Armed Forces Torchlight parade in 2010.
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The Spokane Lilac Festival’s royalty court pose for a picture before climbing aboard their float at the Armed forces Torchlight Parade, Saturday, May 15, 2010.
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As the sun sets behind the Spokane River the Apple Blossom Festival float from Wenatchee loads up Princess Maycee McQuin, left, Princess Elisa Shae, center, and Queen Elenore Bastian for the annual Torchlight Lilac Parade, Saturday, May 21, 2011.
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Spokane Lilac Festival Queen Sydnee Scofield sits with her court on their float during the 2012 Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Saturday, May 20, 2012, in downtown Spokane, Wash.
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People gather to watch the 2012 Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Saturday, May 20, 2012, in downtown Spokane, Wash.
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Young representatives of the Spokane Tribe wave from the back of a truck Saturday, May 18, 2013 during the annual Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in downtown Spokane.
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Apple Blossom Queen Hannah Ireland, 17, watches as the sun peaked throught the clouds before the start of the Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in Spokane on Saturday, May 17, 2014.
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Bee Bickel of the Whitefish Winter Carnival wears rhinestones on her face during the Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in Spokane on Saturday, May 17, 2014.
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Three-year-old Lilli Dryden of Spokane sits on her grandmother’s shoulders to get a better view of the Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in Spokane on Saturday, May 17, 2014.
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Floats are kept under the bridge for fear of rain before the start of the annual Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade in downtown Spokane on Saturday, May 16, 2015.
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Eight-Year-old Aspyn Keller, right, kicks high while she and her sister Harmony Keller, 5, watch the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Saturday, May 21, 2016.
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A remembrance for fallen local military was part of the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on Saturday, May 21, 2016.
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